The Game Changers
by Shadow-TheLastHero
Summary: All spin-off timelines are doomed for failure, correct? But what if the alpha timeline… interferes? Karkat learns of a timeline with a much more hopeful start, so he inserts two new players to change the game. I do not own Homestuck! Also, rated T for language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I seemed harmless, just me and my brother derping around on the internet. Only about a week ago, I had gotten my brother into the fandom known as Homestuck. Currently we were just sifting through quizzes on what it would be like to be a part of the webcomic. God-tier, blood-color, quadrants even. It was going smoothly, and we even made 'trolltags' on a Pesterchum client I downloaded a while ago, and we were listening to parody videos on YouTube when the client dinged, notifying me someone was trying to chat with me. At first I thought it was another friend of mine, but instead it read:

**- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling reapingSurprise [RS] -**

"Why the heck is a canon roleplayer pestering me?" I muttered under my breath, before realizing it wasn't even my recently made account. It was my brothers.

**CG: HEY FUCKASSES.**

_Doing pretty good at being in character so far…_ I thought, getting ready to reply myself. But my brother butted in before I could and responded in his own way.

**RS: ►EllΦ jªckªss◄**

I half-glared at my brother, but was quickly distracted by another ding from my computer.

**CG: AT LEAST YOU HAVE THAT FUCKING PART DOWN.**

That comment only served to confuse me. What part down? Before we could respond, though, the Karkat roleplayer continued on.

**CG: NOW SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I GET DISTRACTED.  
****CG: THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR BOTH OF YOU TO SEE.**

There were two more notifications after that, one a link they sent us, the second telling us the other person had logged off. "How did he know there were two of us?" I asked my brother.

"Lucky guess?" he offered.

"You think we should check this link out?"

He shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Might as well. We've got anti-virus crud, right?"

I nodded my head and clicked on the link, waiting for the webpage to load. It took longer than usual, which is slow on good days, but when it finally loaded I thought it must be some joke.

There, on our screen, was a bright green house-shaped logo. Underneath, block letters spelled out 'Sburb' and on the bottom a large 'Click to Download!' button flashed at us.

"Cliiick iiit," my brother muttered. "I'm curious."

"Are you sure? It might be some sort of virus or scam," I said, giving the webpage a hesitant glance.

Instead of replying, though, my brother just stole the mouse and clicked on the download button. I yelled at him, but the download had already started, and it finished quickly, already finished when he finally returned it. Once again, I got a notification, and it seemed to be the same person from before.

**- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -**

I rolled my eyes but reluctantly responded, this time with my own account.

**CG: HAVE YOU IDIOTS DOWNLOADED THE GAME YET?  
****CG: YOU BETTER HAVE, OR YOU'RE BIGGER FUCKING IDIOTS THAN I THOUGHT.  
****TC: So, you intentionally led us to a fake 'Sburb' download?  
****CG: WELL, IF YOU HUMANS WEREN'T SO FUCKING SUSPISCIOUS, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ASKED THAT QUESTION. IT'S NOT FAKE, FUCKASS. ALL I NEED RIGHT NOW IS FOR YOU TO CONNECT TO MY SERVER, SO STOP FUCKING AROUND AND GET GOING.  
****TC: God, eye think you're a bit... Too in-character... Maybe you should step away from the computer for a bit, get a hold on reality.  
****CG: SHUT THE FUCK UP AND CONNECT TO THE SERVER.  
****- carcinoGenetecist [CG] gave up trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -**

This idiot seems to be doing a really good job at remaining in-character. Oh, well, guess I might as well play along, even if he probably wasn't aware of it. Then, a window popped up.

**SBURB version 0.0.1**

**© SKAIANET SYSTEMS INCORPERATED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.**

**SBURB client is running.**

**A SBURB host user is attempting to connect with you.**

**Client has established connection with host.**

**Press [ENTER] when ready.**

"This is a pretty believable download," I said, half to myself and half to my brother.

"I wonder who the hell we connected to," he replied, seemingly oblivious to my comment.

I glanced at him for a moment before saying, "I guess we hit enter…"

When I hit the button, the strange circle pattern from the webcomic showed up on the screen and the green load bar appeared at the bottom. Once again the download was quick, only as long as the song that played in the background.

"Surprising how it can download with all the crud you have on this computer," my brother said as it finished.

When it was downloaded, the screen blacked out and the green logo spelling out 'SBURB' hovered on the screen. Then it flashed to normal and once again the 'Karkat' began talking to me.

**- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -  
****CG: FINALLY YOU MANAGED TO GET THE FUCKING PROGRAM ON.  
****TC: eye can see a download that can't possibly be legitamate, despite how canon it looks. It's pretty convincing, but eye highly doubt that you can interact with our environment.  
****CG: YOU DON'T FUCKING BELIEVE ME? GOD, YOU HUMANS ARE FUCKING STUPID. FINE, I'LL PROVE TO YOU THAT THIS ISN'T FAKE.  
****TC: As if...**

Then, my brother and I heard noises from behind us. When we turned around, though, we suddenly realized this was no roleplayer we were talking to.

Hovering several feet off the ground, our entire pool table had been lifted.

Then, my brother typed a response before I could.

**TC: ^(0_0)^ eye give up  
****CG: FINALLY. DAMN, YOU HUMANS SURE ARE FUCKING SLOW AT TIMES.**

My brother managed to get in a 'FUC' before I shoved him away from the computer and began thinking of how to respond. But, before I could, Karkat logged off. I rolled my eyes at the pain he was quickly becoming as I watched the table be moved into the hallway and be replaced with a Cruxtruder. Then a bundle of strange cards was dropped on the ground next to us before our server moved on to place other items. I bent to grab them.

"Well, these are worthless. We don't have anything to use capthcalogue cards with."

"How did he get them to us in the first place?" I asked myself, pulling out the top-most card and handing the bundle to my brother. On the card it read 'MORGUE', and I added, "Though, now we do have something to use the cards with. It looks like the modus you made up… a bit ago…"

Things starting to click together in my head, I showed my brother the fetch modus for a moment before grabbing the pile of cards. I considered how to get the cards into the modus, and after a while of shenanigans too complicated to explain I managed to get the modus set up. My brother and Karkat had already done almost all we needed to do, except for create the item to get into the medium and prototyping. Our server yelled at me for a while about how stupid I was for taking so long to figure out a simple fetch modus, but I ignored him for the most part.

I glanced at the kernelsprite hovering behind my brother and asked, "What do you think we should prototype?"

"I'm guessing robo-raptor and -sapien are a bad idea?"

"Probably."

"How about this?" my brother offered, holding up a toy Rainbow Dash that I kept on the computer desk all the time.

"I… don't think so… I have a feeling it would be difficult to talk with, or at the very least try to fly away. So…"

"Birdy boy didn't fly away."

"Do you mean the Crowsprite or Davesprite?"

"Crowsprite," he replies, sounding annoyed.

"I know, but he didn't leave because he was a bird."

Before I could go on, though, my brother said, "I think we should hurry before Karkat yells at us again."

"I guess you're right…" I muttered. "So, what should we put in?"

From there, we spent about fifteen minutes before stumbling across a set of Skylander toys. Then we spent another fifteen minutes debating over which figurines to prototype. In the end, we tossed in Drobot and got a Drosprite, stopping Karkat's endless ranting for a short time as we finally got into the medium with time to spare.

* * *

_**Land of Perception and Flight**_

When I risked a look out the window, I nearly fell from the wave of dizziness that hit me. I stumbled back from the window and heard my brother call from another part of the house, "Welp, the eyeballs have left our sockets. It's time to give up."

"What are you talking about?" I called back, heading back towards the room with the computer.

"Well, Miss Costume, we have flying eyeballs above our house."

"What do you mean 'Miss Costume'?" I ask, stopping for a moment at the bottom of the stairs, still out of sight from my brother.

"You're the one with the weird… pointy-thingy going on with your head, and the weird eye-thing…"

"What are you talking about?" My brother was confusing me more and more, but when I rounded the corner it all clicked.

Standing by a window was not my brother. Yet at the same time it had to be. His skin had become an ashen gray color, and on his head was what looked like really long, bent candy corn.

"Look at your tummy and pat your head," was all he said before looking back out the window.

Deciding to oblige, I pulled up the hem of my shirt, which had changed from an old red T-shirt to a black one with a strange eyeball image on it. Instead of normal human skin color, though, it was gray just like my brother's. Then, when I reached up for my head, I winced slightly as I roughly brushed against the set of horns that were there now. I looked at my hands and saw sharp yellow nails instead of the ones I used to have, and it wasn't until I began running my thumb over my new set of teeth that I realized my brother had disappeared.

Drosprite was currently nowhere to be seen, and despite Karkat trying to contact us again I followed my brother to the kitchen, until I saw him just walking out, a pole with a kitchen knife attached to the end in his hand.

"What is that?" I asked, eyeing the makeshift weapon.

"It is a scythe," he replied curtly.

I just sighed and said, "If you say so."

Then I turned around and went to the computer again, finding instead of Karkat contacting us, a twinArmageddons was trying to talk to us.

**- twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -  
****TA: hello  
****TA: eriidan told me about you two  
****TA: he 2aiid kk wanted hiim two talk to you but he wanted me two do iit iin2tead**

As soon as I fully realized who was typing, my eyes widened in excitement. My favorite Homestuck character, chatting to me. But then my brother had to go ahead and interrupt it.

**- reapingSurprise [RS] began trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -  
****RS: ►MY SHYTHE HAS INTERNEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!◄  
****RS: ►INTERNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!◄**

I gave a groan of exasperation, but decided to reply once just to humor him. Not to say I said much.

**TC: Good for you, now shut up, Sollux is talking to me.  
****RS: ►INTERNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!◄  
****- reapingSurprise [RS] gave up trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -**

Then I returned to my conversation with Sollux. At first I couldn't think of what to say, so all I typed was an emoticon, like an idiot.

**TC: o.o  
****TC: Hi, Sollux.  
****TA: ii would que2tiion how you know my name, but...  
****TA: ii've kiind of giiven up expectiing 2traiight an2wer2 with friend2 liike miine  
****TC: Hehe... Ya...  
****TA: 2eem2 liike your brother ha2 2tartiing ma22 alchemiiziing  
****TA: iid go make 2ure he doe2nt wa2te your grii2t  
****TC: Ok.  
****TC: Thanks, eye guess. Talk to you later, maybe?  
****TA: ii gue22, iif kk ha2 me talk two you for hiim agaiin  
****- twinArmageddons [TA] gave up trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -**

I didn't realize I had been holding my breath until I noticed the burning in my chest and took in a huge gulp of air. Then I realized my brother was bothering me again.

**- reapingSurprise [RS] began trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -  
****RS: ►I need ª fetcπ mΦdµs. I cªn't cªrry ªny Φf mªπ stµff :(◄  
T****C: ...  
****TC: eye can't read half of what you're saying...  
****TC: Oh, well.  
****RS: ►Fetcπ.◄  
****RS: ►MΦdµs.◄  
****RS: ►MΦrgµe.◄  
****TC: eye know you were talking about the modus.  
****TC: Sollux told me you were screwing with our stuff, so eye was just about to come into the room when you talked to me again.  
****RS: ►NΦt screwing ªrΦµnd◄  
****RS: ►wªit fΦr it◄  
****RS: ►I◄  
****RS: ►Wªs◄  
****RS: ►INVENTING◄  
****TC: *face palm*  
****TC: You're so stupid.  
****TC: Bye.  
****- typhloticChaneller [TC] gave up trolling reapingSurprise [RS] -**

I was just about to get up from my chair when my brother began talking to me.

**- reapingSurprise [RS] began trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -  
****RS: ►Get yΦµr ªss µp πere ªnd Alcπemize yΦµr weªpΦn◄  
****TC: eye'm going to, but you keep interrupting me.  
****RS: ►MΦbile internet◄  
****- reapingSurprise [RS] gave up trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -  
****TC: ...  
****TC: Idiot...**

This time, I left the room as quick as possible, not wanting any more distractions from my brother. But, of course, just as I'm about to leave the room Karkat tries talking to me again.

"Oh my god, will I ever get to do anything!?" I half-growled, going back to the computer to tell Karkat to shut up for five minutes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

With my sister freaking out over now being a troll, I decided to start working on killing and not being killed, starting with getting a weapon of my own.

"Now, I kind of want a scythe, but we don't own any… Maybe I could just tie a knife to a pole," I say to myself. I then proceed to wander about the house collecting the materials I would need to make a 'scythe'.

"Why does she get Morgue?" I asked myself, working on putting the pieces together. "I mean, I literally made it up."

After managing to get the pieces to hold together, I began killing jetpack-wearing imps that had managed to find the house, despite the poor job I was doing of it.

"Alright, this weapon needs work. That was the fifth time the blade fell off," I once again told myself. Deciding I could probably alchemize a more proper weapon, I grabbed a hatchet in our garage and combined it with the pole to make an actual scythe. After messing around with some computer parts, though, I managed to get internet access on my scythe. The first thing I did with my new weapon was to talk to my sister.

**- reapingSurprise [RS] started trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -  
****(We then had the conversation that began with:  
****RS: ►MY SHYTHE HAS INTERNEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!◄)**

After getting almost entirely ignored by my sister, I decided to do a bit of inventing.

The first thing I do is grab my sister's robo-raptor and my own robo-sapien and alchemize them together. A raptor-sapien-bot is the result, for the most part looking like robo-sapien but with the 'hands' and feet of rob-raptor.

Then I continue to mass-produce the hybrid robots.

After I finish with my raptor-sapien spree, I start mixing random items with my scythe, until the whole room is cluttered with them. And raptor-sapiens.

I then decided it was my duty to make glasses like Jade had and got to work, mixing a crystal ball we owned with pretty much everything we have, including my scythe creating a lot of crystal thingies but nothing that would let me do too much.

While screwing around, my scythe dinged warning me that someone is talking to me instead of TC for once.

**- arachnidsGrip [AG] began trolling reapingSurprise [RS] -  
****AG: Kaaaaaaaayneeeeeeeer!  
****RS: ►?** _(A/N: The '?' is supposed to be typed 8x)_**◄  
AG: Are you mocking me?  
****RS: ►Wπªt gªve yΦµ tπªt very strªnge ideª πµπ?◄  
****AG: What the hell are you even saying?  
****RS: ►prΦblem?◄  
****AG: You know what? I don't care if Karkat wants me to talk to you, I'm outta here!  
****RS: ►WΦµld it πelp if I sªid sΦrry?◄  
****AG: ...  
****- arachnidsGrip [AG] gave up trolling reapingSurprise [RS] -**

"Well that was a bad attempt, maybe mocking was bad idea but they are trolls anyway right?" I once again said to the empty space to my left. I then proceeded to continue mass production and imp homicide.

After a while I decide that my sister needs to join in the imp killing fun so I troll her attempting to get her in here. But I instead decide to complain about a lack of fetch modus for me without favorable results. So I proceed in telling her to get her ass in here in a separate conversation five minutes later.

After another fifteen minutes of imp murder, I hear my sister yelling, "Hey, you think you could bite yourself for me!?"

"Um hell no. Why?" I responded.

Walking in with her hand held to her mouth, she explained, through her fingers, "Well, I was being trolled by Karkat, and we got really mad at eachother and started yelling, a lot. I kind of got too into it, and forgot how our teeth are different, and…" With that she pulled her hand from her mouth, showing her hand was covered in bright yellow blood.

"Even with extra precision with your teeth you still managed to bite your tongue?"

"Don't judge me, I got really worked up with the stupid stuff he was saying. And anyways, it was my cheek."

"Well I guess we both suck at chatting with trolls."

"We haven't really gotten experience- wait, what's all this in here?" My sister seemed to have just noticed the piles of resources I have stockpiled.

"It is my expansive collection of rare artifacts."

"It looks like an ugly lovechild of robo-raptor and robo-sapien, a pile of useless scythes, and a bunch of crystal balls."

"First that 'lovechild' is my militia, second the scythes aren't piled they are useful and leaned against the wall and third the crystal balls are useless."

Picking up one of the crystal balls, my sister asked, "Are you sure they're useless? Maybe a knight isn't suited to telling fortunes."

"Oh yes wise gypsy tell me what lies in my future oh, great omnipotent one."

"I sense someone will correct you in the next fifteen seconds. It's omniscient."

"No, I think I meant omnipotent."

"Oh well. But, besides that, someone's gonna try to talk to you pretty soon. Probably your patron."

"Bullshit."

Then my scythe, with bad timing, proceeded to ding. "Son of a..." I then answered this troll.

**- arachnidsGrip [AG] began trolling reapingSurprise [RS] -  
****AG: You gonna 8ehave yourself this time, Kayner?  
****RS: ►yes◄  
****AG: Good.  
****AG: Now, according to Karkat I'm going to need to talk to you a lot after this, so you'd 8etter not get smart with me again.  
****RS: ►I will ªnd sΦrry ªbΦµt eªrlier◄  
****AG: Sure...  
****AG: Well, that's pretty much it.  
****AG: Just wanted to make sure you wouldn't step out of line again.  
****RS: ►Φkªy◄  
****RS: ►πey is tπere ªnytπing I cªn cªll yΦµ besides yΦµr trΦlltªg?◄  
****AG: I guess...  
****AG: My name's Vriska.  
****RS: ►Okªy tπen bye Vriskª.◄  
****- reapingSurprise [RS] gave up trolling arachnidsGrip [AG] -**

"How was your chat with Vriska?" my sister asked.

"You suck." I say before leaving to gather more totems. "And I'm still not biting myself."

"But I wanna check something! It's important," she complained, trailing after me.

"Isn't my spit the same color as my blood?"

"I don't think so. I've never seen a troll drool, but… I doubt it'd work anyways."

"Can't I just shed a tear or something?"

"You could, but how easy is that on such short notice? Biting is much quicker and more definite."

"And it hurts more."

"Only for a bit. My bite doesn't hurt anymore. As much."

"But tears usually never hurt."

"Unless you cry because you were hurt."

I then proceed to lay on my side in the middle of the hallway.

"What are you doing?" my sister asked, prodding me with her foot.

"Using gravity to draw out a tear."

Then my sister face-palmed and mumbled, "Fine, just tell me when you figure out your blood color." Then she went back to the family room, probably to mess around with the crystal balls.

"TEAL!"

* * *

Right as I picked up the first ball from the pile, I heard my brother yell "TEAL!" causing me to jump and drop it. It shatters when it hits the ground and I think, _Crap, I hope he can re-make it…_

But, with a flash of white, the shards disappears and the ball reappears, whole and unbroken, in my hand. "Oh…" I mutter. "I knew those quizzes were relevant. Everything adds up so far."

"What the hell was that?"

"Doesn't matter, timey stuff fixed it."

"The hell?"

I roll my eyes before going into the other room and telling him, "This crystal ball broke, but it fixed itself."

"The imps are coming, the imps are coming," he said instead, seemingly ignoring me.

I sigh in exasperation at my brother's strangeness, before turning around to face my first imp. One arm and the opposite shoulder had mechanical parts attached, both pieces having a rocket attached, explaining how it had gotten to our house. But I didn't look into any finer details as I simply threw the ball in my hands at its head, knocking it onto its back. Then I edge around the imp and head towards the pile of crystal balls. When I reach it I begin tossing random balls behind me at the imp until I find a proper weap- oh, great, the only actually fighting implement is a crystal scythe in this stupid pile. Oh, well, it'll have to…

When I finally turn around, the imp is already dead, a pile of grist lying where it used to be. The crystal balls repaired themselves like the other one, and I slowly picked them back up, unable to hide a bit of disappointment that I hadn't really fought it. I guess I'll get that chance later…

Just then I heard a ding come from the pile of orbs, and it didn't take long for me to locate one that flashed what looked like a computer screen on it. Trollian was showing on the screen and I hesitate a moment when I see who it is before answering.

**- caligulasAquarium [CA] began trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -  
****CA: hello there lavv  
****TC: Hi, Eridan. What do you want?  
****CA: i dunno i wwas told to say hello  
****TC: ...  
****TC: Whatever, who told you?  
****CA: kar  
****TC: ?  
****TC: Oookaaay...  
****TC: Is that all?  
****CA: i think so but i guess kar wwanted us to get to knoww eachother  
CA: i don't knoww wwhy he wwants me to get friendly wwith a lowwblood like you, though  
****TC: Okay, first, eye'd appreciate that you don't insult my blood color, you self-absorbed seadweller.  
TC: Second, eye'm not too interested in that idea personally. Bye.  
****- typhloticChaneller [TC] gave up trolling caligulasAquarium [CA] -**

I shut off the chat box before Eridan could protest. I can't believe I would have to deal with him… Oh, well, that one site said he'd be my patron troll, so I guess I should've expected it.

Putting the computer ball into the pile again, I turned around to see what looked like an army of my brother's hybrid robots. The group must've killed something, since each held a decent amount of grist. They drop the objects in a pile, then turn around to probably fight more imps. I go over to the pile and collect the grist, deciding it was my turn to make items.

First I grabbed the computer ball, and a stray headband and I did as most of the kids from Homestuck did and created a hands-free computer.

From there… Well, the room was just that much messier when I was done.

* * *

It took a while for my ideas for combinations to run out, but I had one more idea after I finished mixing stuff together. I went onto the Internet and searched for known codes from the comic. Then, heading to the Punch Designix, I typed in 'PSWOOOOP' and eventually ended up with a pair of rocket wings. After that I made my brother a rocket pack and carried it over to him, saying, "I think it's time to head to the surface."

"Aren't we supposed to go to the gate, first?" he asked, putting on the rocket pack.

"Yes, but the first gate leads to the surface," I replied before a notification popping up on my new computer. "Hold on, Karkat's trying to talk to me now."

**- carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -  
****CG: HEY, ASSHOLES, SOLLUX IS WAITING TO CONNECT WITH YOU.  
****TC: Are you saying that as if we knew we were going to be his server player? Because, personally, eye never knew about that.  
****CG: YES, FUCKASS, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HIS SERVER.  
****TC: Just calm down so eye can get the server downloaded. If you haven't guessed, eye don't know much of actually playing Sburb hands-on.  
****CG: WHY THE FUCK DO YOU CALL IT FUCKING SBURB?  
****CG: IT'S CALLED SGRUB, REMEMBER?  
****TC: Just shut up and let me download the server copy.  
****CG: YOU DON'T FUCKING TELL ME WHEN TO SHUT UP.  
****TC: Sure eye don't.  
****TC: Well, apparently eye've got another player to get into the game, sooo...  
****TC: Bye.  
****- typhloticChaneller [TC] gave up trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] -**

"Well, I guess we gotta wait to continue on, anyways. We need to get Sollux into the game now," I told my brother, returning to the website Karkat had given me when I first talked to him and looking for a short time before finding a server download. Once again it was quick and it didn't take very long before I was connected to Sollux and placing the items he'd need to get into the game.

My brother, meanwhile, had been killing and collecting grist, but now was doing a stupid-looking dance. "Level up!" he said while doing so.

"Oh, great, my brother went up a tier on his echeladder. He went from 'Bumbling Idiot' to 'Almost as Smart as a Potato'," I sneered, continuing with trying to get Sollux off of Alternia. I knew I had to hurry. I remembered what had happened in the comic, and hoped I wouldn't take too long like Karkat had.

"I did not get to 'Almost as Smart as a Potato'. I went from 'Bumbling Idiot' to 'Greg Wannabe'," he retorted.

I just glared at him past my screen and said, "I really don't care."

Then my brother returns to killing more imps. By the time I finally got Sollux out of the game, I barely managed to do so in time, made clear because Sollux had just began complaining of the pain from Feferi's lusus dying when I got him out. When he confirms he got to his land, I breathed a sigh of relief.

My brother had snuck up behind me and when I got Sollux out, he put a hand to my forehead and said, "Swoon." I turned to glare at him and snap at his arm, causing him to pull his arm away and then continue killing more imps. I decide to help him out since I need to level as well, and before long both of us have gone up several rungs of our respective echeladders.

My brother managed to reach 'Reaper of Gerbils' and I went from 'Glasses Required' to 'Two Hours Later…'.

"I really hate the echeladder rung titles," I growled after killing yet another imp with a crystal ball to the face.

"Our house is big!" was my brother's only reply as he killed an imp of his own. Then he asked, "I wonder how long until the ogres start noticing us…"

Just then, a loud rumbling was heard from slightly below the house. "You got your wish," I said, glancing at him for a moment before going back to the family room to equip my rocket wings. My brother follows me and puts on his rocket pack and then we exit through the back door of our house. What used to be our backyard is now only thin air. My brother launches off right away to face the ogre head-on, but I stand there shaking for a while. Terrified of heights, I cautiously approach the edge before closing my eyes and launching off with my rocket wings. After a few seconds I open them again and veer towards where I can see the ogre, shooting towards it with a pair of crystal balls at the ready. As I fly by I throw both at it and go past my brother who's spinning around the ogre, his scythe held out to hit it. I fly by a few more times, the crystal balls reappearing each time I rocket past, until we manage to kill the thing. Instantly I fly back up to the house, while my brother collects the items it dropped.

"Thank god that's over," I mutter, taking off my rocket wings.

"Is there a slowdown button on this thing?" my brother asks, spinning circles above the house.

"Don't think so. You'll probably have to crash to stop, like John," I reply with a small laugh.

"You made me this thing on purpose!"

"No, I just didn't think it through," I shoot back, walking inside.

"Youth roll!" he yelled as he came crashing into the house with the jetpack still activated. Soon after he gets in, though, I captchalogue the item, allowing him to tumble into the kitchen until he crashes into a wall.

"Still ended better then John did," he stated as he stood up.

I don't even answer him, instead noticing a message from Sollux. I had managed to get a bit more comfortable around Sollux since our first conversation, despite me still being unable to help but crack a smile when I see he's trying to talk to me, so I didn't make a fool of myself when I replied this time. Though that isn't to say I wasn't left stunned after the conversation, just for a different reason than our first chat.

**- twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -  
****TA: hey tc, what'2 up  
****TA: ii have a program ii need you two check out for me  
****TC: A program? May eye ask what kind of program?  
****TA: ii ju2t need you two try iit**

The next message was a link, and deciding to trust him I clicked it. A download automatically started and I got an automatic notification from Trollian.

**- twinArmageddons [TA] has become alphatwinArmageddons [ATA] -  
****TC: Alpha... Wait, what exactly does this program do?  
****ATA: iit wiill help you tell who exactly youre talkiing two  
****TC: ?  
****TC: eye can tell who eye'm talking to. Right now eye'm talking to Sollux, earlier eye was talking to Karkat.  
****TC: eye can't see how eye could get mistaken.  
****ATA: well ii can  
****ATA: youre not currently iin our alpha tiimeliine riight now  
****ATA: but ii am  
****TC: Wait, you mean eye've been talking to trolls not even from my own timeline?  
****ATA: you have, but occa2iionally u2 from the alpha tiimeliine have been talkiing two you and your brother and 2ome of the other troll2  
****ATA: two try two keep you from becomiing a doomed tiimeliine  
****TC: So you're saying eye'm in a doomed spin-off timeline. Nice.  
****ATA: iit ii2 a 2piin-off tiimeliine but we hope two keep you from beiing doomed liike ii ju2t 2aiid  
****ATA: iive gotta go riight now though  
****ATA: kk ii2 yelliing at me for 2ome rea2on  
****ATA: bye  
****- alphatwinArmageddons [ATA] gave up trolling typhloticChaneller [TC] -**

After I finished the conversation, I could only sit in the corner of the family room, where I had gone to get some privacy from my fighting brother, and think about the fact that my brother and I were pretty much doomed for failure right now. We weren't in the alpha timeline. There's never been a successful spin-off timeline that I know of. The only thing I really don't understand now, though, is why they want this timeline to succeed, and how they thought we could do that.

I decided I'd keep this secret to myself for a while. So I copied the conversation, pasted it onto I file that I then saved into a deep part of my computer, and then deleted the record of that chat from my Troll-log records. My brother didn't need to know we don't have much hope for survival let alone success. If my assumption was correct and the quizzes we took actually were relevant, then it would be pretty ironic for my brother to lose faith that we might win.

It wouldn't be right for a hero of hope to lose all hope.

What a crappy player I am, then, to not have seen this earlier.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Lavira is acting emo again." I said to myself while running through the house. I had been attempting to make my scythe better since I was not to be one-upped by my sister. I got around to somehow making a gaming headset get connected to my scythe so I could say what I needed to type. Once again my scythe made the annoying little dinging sound saying once again I am being freaking trolled.

**- cuttlefishCuller [CC] began trolling reapingSurprise [RS] -  
****RS: ►Φπ ellΦ pµrple blΦΦd◄  
****RS: ►wπy ªre yΦµ pestering me?◄  
****CC: )(ello, um...  
****CC: You're a teal blood...  
****CC: Rig)(t?  
****RS: ►yª◄  
****CC: O)(, it's so nice to M-E-ET you!  
****CC: O)(, I seam to )(ave forgotten your name as w)(ale...  
****RS: ►Kªyner◄  
****CC: T)(at's a very nice name, KAYN-ER!  
****RS: ►I gµess Feferi is ª nice nªme 2◄  
****CC: ?  
****CC: )(ow do you know my name?  
****RS: ►One Φf tπe Φtπer trΦlls tΦld me◄  
****CC: O)(!  
****CC: W)(ale, it's been lobsta fun meeting you, Kayner!  
****CC: But I )(ave to go now.  
****CC: Bye!  
****CC: glub  
****RS: ►nice meeting µ 2 Ü◄  
****- cuttlefishCuller [CC] gave up trolling reapingSurprise [RS] -**

I realized that the house should have reached the first gate by now so I went to gather my traveling companion so we can begin our trek through the land we have. But…

"Eye don't wanna go right now," she growled, huddled on the ground covering her head, glaring at me from under her arms.

"Commith young time person so you can unite with your land and it's people and eventually find your true love, or at least so you can fan girl more."

"Stop talking, my head is pounding right now. Eye can hardly think. Anyways, we would end up at Karkat's, not Sollux is that's what you're thinking."

"Do I have to start using the voice?"

"What voice?" she asked.

"This one," I said using a quite high pitch I learned to make my voice do.

"Oh, god, please stop!" she hissed, hands clamped firmly over her ears and eyes squeezed shut.

"It's probably the altitude come on let's get to the surface." I said with my normal voice.

"Fine," she grumbled, getting to her feet and pulling her rocket wings from her fetch modus. "You want your jetpack? Eye still got it."

"Hell no I'm walking, that thing won't stop."

"Fine. Eye guess it's better so you won't yell at me for hating the noise when eye get through. See ya, then." And with that, she walked outside and rocketed straight upwards.

After a stupid little climb up the…house I got to the gate assuming my sister already made it through so I went through myself to see what the surface looks like.

When I reached the rest of LOPAF, all I could see was trees stretching for seemingly forever. The gate had opened up into what looked like the only clearing in our land, and I could hear birds chattering loudly above me. Most looked similar to the flying eyeballs that had been carrying our house, but some looked almost familiar, but with an alien sort of flair. From the edge of the clearing, my sister walked up and asked, "Pretty neat, eh?"

"It's gonna take a while to find the gate."

"We just need to find the Return Node to get us back to our house, then if you don't wuss out, you and eye can rocket our way to the second gate."

"Wait we didn't even need to come down here?"

"No, but as seen in the case of John, skipping gates is ill-advised. If you aren't high enough leveled to face what's on the other side of the gate, you will most likely die upon reaching that other side."

To make a point I threw one of my scythes at two nearby imps killing both in one hit and making a pile of grist in its stead.

"Does it look like I need training?" I said while going to collect my scythe.

"Well, eye would've probably tried to lead you to the second gate right away if you had ridden your rocket pack with me, but even then eye would have doubts. Eye have this gut feeling that something bad'll happen if we skip a gate. It's probably nothing, but just trust me, okay?"

"Fine let's find the weird node thing."

My sister just nodded before turning around and saying, "Let's go, then. Eye've managed to have a full conversation with Karkat in the time it took to straighten out the confusion of the Seven Gates to you."

"I've talked to Feferi once."

"Good for you, eye'm pretty sure that was my third conversation with do- eye mean, Karkat. Whoop-dee-doo. Eye hated every time eye have to reply to that idiot troll's need to frustrate me to no ends. Eye wouldn't be surprised if, with how our arguments tend to go, he considers us blackrom!" she snapped, stumbling once and rushing the rest as if to cover up her slip-up.

"Do?"

"Nothing, my mind wandered a bit, it's hard to focus with my head hurting the way it is right now," she shot back, obviously in no mood for conversation.

"Well I hope you have a nice time filling hate buckets with him," I said before running ahead.

"Eye am going to effing kill you!" she growled, not bothering to run after me and instead simply walking along the trail I was setting.

* * *

It took much longer than it needed to finding the Return Node, or maybe it was just my headache making it seem that way. When my brother and I got back to our house, pineapples lay scattered everywhere. I left my brother to clean up the mess, which essentially meant he sent his 'militia' as he called it to get all the fruits. I heard him yell at the imps to get out, to which they all did, but the sound of all the imps leaving and my brother yelling at then to go only made my head hurt all the more. For now all I really wanted was to lay down and sleep off my headache, but then I noticed someone from the corner of my eye in the kitchen and I turned to face it just as it started talking.

"2o, thii2 ii2 your hiive, huh?"

For a moment, I felt a twinge of deja-vu as I could only stare at him for a moment, then nodded slightly, shaking off the feeling of excitement, but then wincing slightly as the sudden movement aggravated my headache. "Ya, eye guess this is my hive," I say, trying to pass off the reflex as nothing.

Sollux looks like he's about to say something when my brother walks in. "Tho talk to Tholluth re-oh crap, hello Sollux."

Sollux looked confused for a moment before glancing at me and asking, "II2 thii2 what kk2 been telliing me he doe2 lately?"

"Probably," I reply, whacking my brother on the back of his head with my hand.

My brother just laughed at me and said, "I embarrassed you!" chanting it several times before I locked one arm around his head and putting my other hand over his mouth, hissing, "Shut up, now. If you recall, eye still have a headache."

"Got rid of the pineapples."

"Honestly, eye don't care, why don't you just go beat up some imps or something and leave me alone for a couple of minutes. Why don't you go hang out with your fish girlfriend?"

"One, not my girlfriend and two I do have something else to do," he said before going over to a computer in another room and very loudly playing 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight'.

"Shut that off, you insufferable prick!"

"Fine mocking time over," he said before turning it off and leaving to go on another murder run.

"Eye guess eye should go make sure he doesn't do something stupid," I say turning back to Sollux. It wasn't until then that I realized he had somehow snuck up behind me until he was only a couple of feet away. I jumped in surprise then laughed, trying to act like I hadn't been surprised, but before I could even make up some lame excuse or something, Sollux asked, "Diid you 2ay you were having headache2?"

"Ummm… Ya?" I replied. "What of it?"

Sollux looked at me for a few seconds with a thoughtful expression before asking, "You're a yellow-blood liike me, riight?"

"Again, yes."

"II thiink II can help you get riid of them," he told me, that thoughtful look still on his face.

The notion piqued my interest, but at the same time I was a bit skeptical. "And how exactly to you plan to do that?"

Sollux let out a sort of half-laugh half-smirk before replying with another question. "Have you ever learned how to u2e those p2iioniic power2 of your2?"

"Psionic… What!?" The idea of me having those kinds of abilities seemed far-fetched, even though earlier that day I had been a human and was now a troll.

"Ya, mo2t yellow-blood2 have p2iioniic power2." Sollux seemed amused that I didn't know about my own abilities.

"And you're saying… Me not using them is giving me these headaches?"

"Pretty much."

"And you can help teach me how to use these powers?"

"Yep."

I didn't need to think for long to decide if I wanted his help or not, especially since the process was cut short with a twinge of pain from my head. "Okay, then, what's lesson one?"

* * *

After recently finishing a conversation with someone I went back to killing imps due to how my sis wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, though I hope she doesn't figure where I put the pineapples. Recently I noticed that only the ogres were getting by the militia due to the fact that even they were leveling, weird echeladder.

The only thing to do was kill ogres and after that there was…nothing so since they were a bit easy I decided it was time for us to move on to the second gate.

I slowly worked my way down the ever expanding house to find my sister and Sollux fighting imps, both using psionic powers, though Sollux obviously was better.

"Young padawan, you must use the force," I say making the Star Wars reference to see if she would notice.

"Just shut up, and quit making stupid references. Let me concentrate," she snapped, not taking her eyes off the imps.

"Star Wars was a good movie so that wasn't a stupid reference. Also I think it's about time to move along to the next gate."

Once the last imp was dead my sister walked over to me, faking hitting me in the back of the head and saying, "Eye never said it was a bad movie. Eye was saying there was no point in taunting my powers like that. But, eye agree, eye think we should get going to the next gate."

"Alright well let's go guys," I said before starting to re-climb the tower that is our house.

"Why will you not use your jet pack?" my sister asked, strapping on her rocket wings for what must be the fifth time today.

"I hate my jetpack thing and it will give you more time to train before we advance I guess."

My sister glanced at Sollux and shrugged before saying, "Well, guess I'll see you there." She led the way outside but Sollux said to me, "2ee ya, 2ucker. Ju2t don't take too long," before following after her.

Instead of saying some childish response or throwing something at him I did what any mature person would do, flip him the bird. But at that point he was already outside and out of my line of sight.

And thus I begin my climb.

**= = = Knight: Ascend**

* * *

After several hours of tiring climbing, I finally reached the second gate, thinking that this game fucking sucks.

After going through the gate the first thing my eyes were greeted with is the stupid sight of my sister and Karkat fighting while Sollux was just standing on the sidelines. "Would you two shut up and get moving, we have things to do before the reckoning."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP," was the only response I got from Karkat, and my sister didn't even glance in my direction.

"First thing is you, Karkat shut it because it is slightly pointless yelling at my sister at the moment no matter what the hell you idiots said to one another. If you want to do you weird hate relationship thing that would be fine if we had the time to stand around but as I recall we actually have stuff to do at the moment, and seeing you fight with him is not what I wanted to see when I went through the gate. So either you both shut up or at least walk while yelling."

This time my sister turned to glare at me then roll her eyes and sigh, "Fine, whatever, interrupt our awesome first time seeing each other face-to-face. That's cool." But she smiled a bit while saying that and then gestured for me to lead the way before turning back to yell at Karkat again.

_This is gonna be a fun little trip,_ I thought before walking in a random direction which was basically down the only path that was above the ocean of blood.

For the most part I just killed random imps as Karkat and my sister somehow maintain their argument the whole time. Walking beside me, Sollux asks, "How ii2 2he able to argue wiith _hiim_ for that long?"

"I must admit it is most likely because she lived with me for a long time in which I am very stubborn at times. Usually when she is attempting to change my thoughts on some things."

"II gue22 that could be a good rea2on… Oh, that remiind2 me, why diid you two liive iin the 2ame hiive anyway2?"

"Her hive kind of got broke with some weird thing and since she actually knew me she asked if she could stay there for a while."

"Are you two moiiraiil2?"

"We're friends but not that much."

"IIf you 2ay 2o…"

"If it ain't too much to ask I was wondering what you thought of her?"

"Why doe2 that concern you?" he asked.

"No reason."

"Well… 2he'2 iintere2tiing. II wa2 2urprii2ed 2he diidn't know about her p2iioniic2, but II gue22 2he'2 okay."

"Got it, SHUT UP BACK THERE!"

"You shut up!" my sister yelled back, adding, "Eye can yell at whoever eye wanna yell at!"

"Not when it causes you to almost get hit," I said throwing a scythe between them to kill off yet another imp.

"It was an imp. If it hit me, eye would hit it back and kill it in one hit, like every other imp we come across."

"As you should recall with the uranium imp they can get quite strong eventually."

My sister then rushed to catch up with me and hissed in my ear, "Uranium imps are in the kid's session, not this one. So shut up about it, they don't even know what humans are." Then she dropped back again to continue her argument with Karkat.

"They make such a stupid couple."

"II thiink 2tandiing arguiing wiith kk for thii2 long ii2 iimpre2iive."

"I guess, but it gets quite annoying especially when I'm trying to focus on getting us done here."

Sollux just shrugged his shoulders and from then on he remained silent, the only noise coming from behind us.

When we finally got to the next Return Node, miraculously my sister and Karkat had managed to stop yelling at each other. I went straight through the Return Node and my sister followed right behind. Then we were back on our own planet, in our house again. "I'm going to work with my scythe for a bit," I said before walking over to the Punch Designix. My sister followed me, though, and as I began to hole-punch more cards, she asked, "Have you ever considered what it would be like to hit god-tier? Eye know you have to die and all, but we're probably gonna die anyways and eye'd rather eye hit god-tier after."

"Does it really matter? We just become fairy things and get increased power I think," I said, going over to the totem lathe.

"We become gods pretty much, though. We get increased potential and are able to tap deeper into our own powers, and we're almost invincible in that form."

"Yup, but we can still die just as easily as long as it's just, heroic, or someone screws with the clock thing."

"Okay, first, eye highly doubt you'll get a just death. You may be stupid at times, but you wouldn't turn against us. And so long as you're careful you shouldn't die a heroic death unless there's no other option. And third, eye'm not even sure if that really happens. For me, it's a headcanon, and eye don't know if it actually affected her death."

"Meh, doesn't matter how we are able to die until we learn how we die, for the last time," I said creating a new scythe.

"Eye was just wondering what you thought of it. Just so long as we're on our quest bed, or get to it before our dream self dies, we wouldn't be dead after that, and we couldn't be picked off nearly as easily as before," my sister replied before turning around and leaving back to the family room.

"That all depends on who we are when we die," I say to myself cutting into another imp with the grave digger.

"Hey, you ready to go to the next gate?" my sister called.

"Sure."

"Okay, eye'll see you at Terezi's later," she added before going off to the next gate out the back door.

Then I start climbing again.

* * *

When I go through the third gate, I have a less than graceful landing. I had been expecting more room to stop, but I hardly had any and crashed into a wall, quickly putting the wings in my fetch modus before they rocketed me out through the wall.

"Ooow…" I mumble, standing up and holding one hand to my head. "That really hurt…"

"OH, H3Y TH3R3. 4R3 YOU TH3 3XTR4 PL4Y3R K4RKL3S W4S T4LK1NG 4BOUT?" I turned in the direction of the speaker, waving slightly at her and nodding my head.

"Ya, me and my… um… 'friend' were told by Karkat to jump in, so we did, and now here we are," I replied.

"WH3R3 1S YOUR FR13ND, 4NYW4YS?" she asked.

"Oh, he decided to take the long route to our next gate."

"3H3H3H, 1 GU3SS TH4T M34NS 1'LL H4V3 TO W41T 4 WH1L3 Y3T UNT1L 1 M33T H1M."

"Ya, he'll probably be here eventually, but if you don't mind, eye think eye'm going to head down to the surface to find a Return Node."

Terezi only waved me off, saying, "1F YOU 4R3N'T 4S STUP1D 4S K4RK4T, 1T SHOULDN'T T4K3 TOO LONG."

I didn't bother reply to being compared to Karkat, going outside and rocketing up to Terezi's first gate to reach her land's surface.

_Eye wonder how long it'll take before all the exciting stuff'll happen,_ I thought with a half-smile. "Oh, well, eye bet none of us are in a hurry to get to that part."

I just wished my brother would just use his rocket pack instead of taking hours to climb useless stairs to get to gates. Whatever, his loss.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"I hate stairs, I hate heights, and I fucking hate Sgrub!" I yelled climbing up the house yet again while my sister gets to the top in around ten seconds. "Maybe talking with someone will make this activity a bit easier, although the wrong person could make this a bit harder…might as well talk to Terezi since my sis said she would be the next person to visit," I said still talking to myself.

**- reapingSurprise [RS] began trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC] -  
****RS: ►HellΦ teªl blΦΦd◄  
****GC: H3LLO OTH3R T34L BLOOD  
****RS: ►SΦ did Lªvirª get tπere yet?◄  
****GC: WH4T, YOUR FR13ND TH4T ST4YS 4T YOUR H1V3? Y4, BUT TH3N SH3 L3FT R1GHT 4FT3R  
****RS: ►Tπªt little, well tπªts greªt I still gΦt ªn πΦµr Φr sΦ tΦ gΦ till I cªn get µp tπere, I πªte tπis freªking πive.◄  
****GC: WHY D1DN'T YOU JUST FLY UP L1K3 YOUR H1V3M4T3? S33MS L1K3 4 STUP1D 1D34 TO CL1MB 4LL THOS3 ST41RS  
****RS: ►I dΦn't knΦw πΦw tΦ stΦp tπe jetpªck tπingy ªnd I didn't feel like crªsπing yet ªgªin intΦ ª wªll in ªn ªttempt tΦ stΦp, ªltπΦµgπ wªlking wªs kind Φf ª stµpid Ideª I cΦµld πªve jµst gΦt ª different flying tπing.◄  
****GC: W3LL SH3 D1DN'T H4V3 4 GOOD L4ND1NG 31TH3R  
****GC: SH3 CR4SH3D 1NTO 4 W4LL  
****RS: ►Heπe well I'm ªlmΦst tπere ªnywªy I 'πitcπed' ª ride witπ sΦmeΦne◄  
****GC: WHO?  
****RS: ►SΦme rªndΦm imp wπΦ wªs ªlsΦ flying µp.◄  
****GC: OK4Y, W3LL 1 GU3SS 1'LL M33T YOU SOON, TH3N  
****RS: ►Meet yΦµ tπen, bye.◄  
****- reapingSurprise [RS] gave up trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC] -**

Shortly after I ended the conversation I noticed I was nearing my stop so I stabbed the imp killing it and using the remaining momentum, more or less, to land at the correct floor. I estimated wrong and had to fall a … sizeable distance before landing. "Still hate this game."

I then proceeded through the gate in an attempt to locate Lavira. After going through I noticed a small dent in the wall in front of me which I could only assume came from the, odds are fun to watch, landing she had a while ago. "Now where could she have gone?" I questioned before noticing Terezi watching me from one of the walls. "Hey Terezi!"

"H3Y TH3R3, UH… WH4T3V3R YOUR N4M3 1S."

"Kayner."

"OK4Y, K4YN3R."

"Any idea where Lavira might have went?"

"H3Y, K4YN3R, 1 N33D TO F1ND OUT WH4T YOU LOOK L1KE, S1NC3 1'V3 H4RDLY 3V3N M3T YOU."

"Go ahead."

With that Terezi walked over to where I was, smelling me for a moment before licking my cheek. "HMMM…" She seemed deep in thought for a moment before holding out a hand and saying, "W3LL, N1C3 TO M33T YOU, K4YN3R!"

_Well that was weird. _"Same here," I said shaking her hand.

"TOO B4D YOUR H1V3M4T3 COULDN'T H4V3 L3T M3 F1ND OUT WH4T SH3 LOOK3D L1K3. 1 GU3SS 1'LL H4V3 TO W41T FOR TH4T OPPORTUN1TY."

"The opportunity will arise eventually."

"1 KNOW. W3LL, 1 GU3SS YOU'R3 PROB4BLY GO1NG NOW. 1 KNOW 1 4M. SO, S33 Y4!" And with that, Terezi began heading up her hive to whichever gate was her next.

"Yay time to trudge up yet another house. I wonder if there are any flying imps here," I said to myself before beginning going up yet another tall building. "Yo Taxi," I said before taking another imp up.

* * *

"Another one down, god knows how many more to go," I growl, quickly picking up the grist from my latest opponent before another takes its place. "I hate these stupid imps!" I snap, killing this monster as well. Then, before any more can appear out of nowhere, I fly up out of range of most of the imps besides the flying imps, of which I didn't encounter much on Terezi's land.

"What is taking my brother so long?" I asked myself, heading in a random direction to try to find the Return Node. I decided I had waited for my brother long enough, and found the Node quick enough, hovering above it for a while, looking to see if I could spot my brother.

"No dice," I mutter before diving down for the Node. I was only a foot from it, though, when I randomly fell asleep. No warning, just one second flying on my rocket wings, the next out like a light.

* * *

When I next woke up, well… I quickly realized I hadn't actually woken up. I found myself lying in a strange bed in a room that looked like someone had decided to prank me by dying my whole room purple. But I knew what it actually was.

Sitting upright, it took a moment to process how exactly I had been woken up. But then I saw Sollux just climbing out the window, half-out. He quickly realized he had been spotted and gave a nervous half-smile. "Morniing, there, Laviira."

"Did you wake me up just now?" I asked, glaring at the other yellow-blood.

"What would you do iif II 2aiid ye2?"

Grabbing one of my pillows, I threw it at him, watching as he tried to dodge it and just ended up falling from his perch on my windowsill. I didn't rush when I went to peek out my window, making sure he didn't fall all the way to the ground, only to find his face inches from mine.

"Augh! Sollux!" I snapped, falling backwards onto my butt. "What was that for?" I asked, getting back to my feet and glaring at the Gemini.

"Don't blame me. II'm not the one that deciided to 2tiick her head out the window," he replied, hovering just outside my room.

"Why did you wake me up in the first place? Eye was just about to go through a Return Node, so eye probably crashed and'll be sore when I wake up. I demand a proper explanation." At this point I was half-joking with Sollux, half-angry with him still for waking me up at such an inopportune moment.

Sollux just laughed and replied, "Well, iif II had know that, II wouldn't have woken you now. But II diidn't thiink you'd want to be left out for two much longer. You are the la2t two wake up here, you know."

"That didn't mean eye wanted to be rudely awoken." I had moved back to my bed at this point, and Sollux was once again sitting on the windowsill, watching me as if I might turn and run for some reason and he needed to keep me from doing so. And, honestly, I was severely considering it at the moment.

"How diid you get kk two allow you and your friiend two joiin u2?" Sollux asked seemingly from nowhere.

"Eye dunno, he just decided to ask us to join for some reason, he never explained why to me."

He seemed to pause to think for a moment before adding, "Well, II've never 2een eiither of you before the game, and II fiind iit a biit 2u2pii2ciiou2 that you two 2eemiingly came from nowhere."

I was unable to answer this question completely without revealing that my brother and I weren't normally trolls, so I just said, "You could say that." Sollux seemed about to ask another question but I interrupted him, saying, "Well, since you said you've woken up here before, mind giving me the grand tour?"

He seemed annoyed that I was trying to change the subject, but with only a shrug of his shoulders he said, "2ure what do you want to 2ee fiir2t?"

* * *

"Hmm, why the hell is she asleep." I said looking at the downed body of my sister. _One second she was flying looking to avoid a fight and next second she's out like a freaking light. Might as well join in sleeping, it's a bit tiring climbing the house a few times._ I thought before going to sleep on the ground because, I can.

* * *

Shortly after when I thought I went to sleep I sat up in this nice yellow room that looked suspiciously like my room back at home. "Cool I'm on prospit," I said to myself floating about the room looking at all the nice yellow stuff I have. After a while of flying about I noticed that there were people outside just wandering about the ground, "I wonder why they can't fly," Questioned I as I went down to ask these strange white people. "Why aren't you flying around?" I asked but the people kind of just looked at me funny, in a weird admiring way if you could call it that. "Never mind," I say then fly away.

After screwing around in the air I notice there are a few more flying that I feel like I should know, although trying to remember who they are only reminds me that it's very dangerous to stay on this planet for too long, although the reason why is still barely out of my mental reach. "Hey anyone who can hear Kayner yelling, I think there is something wrong with staying on this planet eventually, or something wrong with staying off sacrifice thing so you might want to leave!"

_That was a flawless execution of warning. Oh look a hole in the ground, adventure! _I thought before flying into the random hole in the ground. After a while I broke through a wall I didn't notice and found my self in pain and in some strange room with stone stuff that I felt slightly compelled to sit on one in particular. After I sat down I got bored and fell asleep.

* * *

I sat up seeing some of my creations bringing another haul from their recent escapade. "Good job recruits, you may have a L.O.A. If you wish," I say pretending I know what I'm saying and also that they actually cared what I said. "Or not," I then proceeded to walk about while I wait for Lavira to wake from her stasis. _I wonder if she installed the torrent thing, might as well install it just in case._ I think before going to look for a disc. After locating said disc I install the program "Grist Torrent" onto a computer I used before this and simply left to go kick at what could possible be the corpse of my sister. "Wait," I say before realizing something I should take into consideration, "Won't I have to do troll relationship stuff? I don't even know how the hell Moirails work, maybe I can ask someone. That's a good idea but first I have to remember who has a Moirail. Karkat and Gamzee, Eriden and Feferi, and Equies and Nepeta, Maybe Feferi would be the best choice because she might be a bit more straight forward about the answer then Eriden, Gamzee, and Nepeta," I say before attempting to contact Feferi.

**- reapingSurprise [RS] began trolling cuttlefishCuller [CC] at 22:31 -  
****RS: ►Hey Feferi is nΦw ª bªd time?◄  
****CC: Nope! 38) W)(at do you want, Kayner?  
****RS: ►I knΦw tπis is kind Φf ª stµpid qµestiΦn◄  
****RS: ►bµt◄  
****RS: ►πΦw tπe πeck dΦ MΦirªils wΦrk?◄  
****CC: Morayls?  
****CC: W)(ale...  
****CC: Morayls, as you know, are one of t)(e redroms. Usually morayls kelp to keep eac)( ot)(er grounded, kelping t)(e ot)(er in t)(eir morayllegiance to keep clam and not be overw)(alemed by w)(atever emotions t)(ey mig)(t be experiencing.  
****CC: T)(at's pretty muc)( it, glub. 38)  
****CC: W)(y did you need to know?  
****RS: ►Trµtπ be tΦld I dΦn't knΦw tΦΦ mµcπ ªbΦµt tπis stµff. ªnd ªnΦtπer stµpid qµestiΦn◄  
****RS: ►πΦw dΦ yΦµ ªctµªlly, mªke, ª mΦirªil?◄  
****CC: Usually you just ask and if bot)( trolls involved in t)(e potential morayllegiance feel t)(e connection truely is t)(e kind morayls )(ave, t)(en t)(ey become morayls from t)(en on, unless t)(e connection is krilled for any rayson.  
****RS: ►Okªy, tπx fΦr ªnswering insteªd Φf insµlting like I gµess ªtleªst Φne wΦµld dΦ◄  
****CC: No problem, glub.  
****CC: Bye! 38)  
****RS: ►bye◄  
****- cuttlefishCuller [CC] gave up trolling reapingSurprise [RS] at 22:45 -**

"Well that was great now I known a way to possibly be rejected without any romantic ideas, fun!" I said to the pile of grist next to me. I then proceeded with my previous kicking idea.

* * *

"Wow, Derse sure is big," I said, finally taking a break from flying around after Sollux. The two of us were sitting on top of my room, having sat there for several minutes in silence before I broke it.

"II gue22 that'2 true," he replied, staring at a random point into the black abyss Derse floated in.

I tried following his gaze, wondering what he was looking at, but saw nothing. I guess it really was just a random spot he was staring at. Instead of looking into the creepy darkness, I decided to change my focus to Sollux and just thought for a moment. I hoped he wouldn't turn to look at me and find me staring at him, because that would cause for an awkward situation.

But, of course, he turned to glance at me. Acting without thinking for some reason – probably some side-effect of being my dream self – I suddenly blurted, "Eye expect you want an explanation for where my brother and eye came from?"

"Waiit, brother? II thought you two were ju2t friiend2. What even ii2 a brother?"

Realizing I had given away part of our secret and had to keep going with the rest, I replied, "A brother is an alien term for two people who are genetically close to one another, closer than that strange genetic slime mother grubs mix up. And, if you didn't guess already, my brother and eye are aliens. We are what are known as humans, but we were turned into trolls when we entered the game. We basically did come from nowhere, and eye can completely understand if you decide to want nothing else to do with my brother and eye ever agai-"

I had almost finished with my explanation, words coming out so fast that I stumbled several times, when Sollux lifted one hand to signal for me to stop. Instantly I fell silent, clapping both hands over my mouth and regretting revealing so much in that instant of stupidity. But what he said in response shocked me much more.

"II really don't care that you u2ed to be aliien. You're not one now, 2o iit doe2n't matter anymore. Ju2t please, 2top rambliing, II'll admiit iit'2 gettiing a biit annoyiing." Then he put one hand on my shoulder and added, "Let'2 ju2t enjoy here and now."

* * *

I was now sitting at a computer desk, staring at the screen blankly. Before me flashed the life of a buck-toothed kid with large, nerdy glasses. But I wasn't paying any attention, and instead recalling memories from a long time ago. Or, what seemed like a long time ago. Then, with no warning whatsoever, someone suddenly wrapped their arms around my shoulders and rested their chin on my head, saying, "Hey there."

Initially I jumped at the unexpected contact, then relaxed as I recognized who it was.

"Hey, Sollux, what's up?"

"Not much. II 2ee you're ob2e22iing over tho2e 2tupiid human2 a2 well?"

I tilted my head back slightly, making Sollux take his chin off of it, and just looked at him for a moment before replying, "Yes, and you know exactly why eye am."

At that Sollux laughed and asked, "2o, what do _you_ thiink of the2e human2 2o far?"

"They're exactly like eye expected them to be. They don't seem like anything special. At least, not until they start playing."

"Have you talked to any yet?"

I just shook my head, returning my attention to the screen.

That is, until once again I lost interest.

Standing up from my chair, I turned towards the transportalizer in the center of the room and said to Sollux, "Eye think eye'm going to hang out with Terezi for a bit. See ya." Then I was transportalized and began heading towards where I assumed Terezi would be, passing my pacing brother on the way.

* * *

"Hey," I said to my sister as she passed. But she just ignored me as she disappeared into the transportalizer that I think led to the roof. "Ass," I say before I continue trying to remember what I can of here. "Let's go see what the others are up to," I say to the transportalizer I use two seconds later.

Upon entering the main room I saw some of the others going about their usual business, like Karkat and his usual annoyance towards a specific boy in blue, Gamzee dancing near his pile of horns, Nepeta was playing with a ball of yarn, Eriden seems to be attempting to get at least one quadrant filled, Equius was breaking more bows, one of the humans seemed to be attempting to contact me, I could only assume Tavros was doing his Fiduspawn thing, Kanaya tripping over Gamzee's Uni-real air and Feferi seemed to have just noticed me enter and came over to say hi I guess. ")(ey t)(ere, glub." Guessed as much.

"Hey Fairy," I responded. "Up to anything fun as of recently?"

"No, it's pretty boring )(ere…"

"I guess that is true, anything you feel like doing?"

"W)(at is t)(ere to do?"

"I don't know, just talk I guess."

"Okay!"

"So how've you been holding out recently? Uh strike that, has, uh, Eridan still been pestering you, uh never mind. Crap why is talking to you hard now?"

"Ummm…" Feferi seemed confused at my inability to choose a specific topic to talk about.

"I'm sorry, I've just been thinking of something I think is slightly important recently that has me a bit confused."

"W)(at's that?"

"Uh, it's, uh, nothing really."

"Now you're sounding like Tavros, you silly gills!"

"Heh, uh, I kind of have to ask, have you ever, uh, had…flushed feeling for anyone?"

"W)(ale, I conchidered it once with Eridan, but soon realized it would never work out if we became matesprites."

"Oh, okay then. So, how have you been recently?"

"Didn't you ask me t)(at already?"

"I did, didn't I? Well anyways you look nice today."

"O)(, w)(ale t)(anks, glub!"

"So anything in particular been on your mind." _Preferably something bright. No stupid thought that is not what she has been thinking of. She said it herself._

"Not muc)(, besides t)(ose )(umans of course. T)(ey sure are weird!"

"Because the people around here are normal."

"I'm not reely saying t)(at. You're rig)(t, t)(e ot)(ers are pretty strange. But t)(e )(umans are… you know… ALI-EN? So t)(at makes t)(em all t)(e W-EIRD-ER!"

_They aren't, or at least, weren't that alien once to me._ "Ya there are really strange, especially that one, Jade I think. I still actually wanna know, has Eridan been pestering you recently?"

")(e always does, and you s)(ould know t)(at as muc)( as everyone else."

"Okay I just thought he might have remembered something."

"Remembered w)(at?"

"Err, nothing."

"S)(ooore."

"Hee hee so have you been practicing your two by three prong?"

"T)(ere's not muc)( to practice on, and anyw)(ales, it's my Specibus. I don't need to practice it very often."

"There is Eridan."

"KAYN-ER! W)(y would you propose suc)( a )(orrible idea!?"

"I'm sorry I guess I still have a bit of my crude humor left. Although I think at one time he tried to shoot me. I didn't see him actually do it but I saw the laser that his gun thing shoots."

"T)(en I guess I'll )(ave to tell )(im not to do t)(at anymore. But t)(at still doesn't allow being so rude to )(im!"

"Sorry."

"O)( w)(ale, just so long as you don't do it again."

"Okay Fairy. Hey have you ever thought what it would be like to be Matesprites instead?"

* * *

"The jury finds him guilty!"

The phrase was said with fake excitement, though seemingly Terezi believed it as she grabbed the poor scalemate and a stray piece of rope, wrapping it around its neck as she exclaimed, "4ND TH3 P3N4LTY 1S D34TH!" Then she tossed the toy into the air, slinging it over a pipe running above her and I, and, after, I finished the deed by tying the end of the rope around itself to ensure it would stay on the pipe.

"SO, WH4T DO YOU W4NT TO DO NOW?" she asked, looking at me expectantly.

I was about to reply, but I was cut short as suddenly the scene around me changed to something very different.

Initially I thought I had been woken up again, but then I realized the room I was in was all yellow, and looked nothing like my own. For a second I only stared dully at the walls, then glanced at the ground and noticed Karkat lying there, quickly realizing something strange was going on. I realized a few moments later this was an event that I knew to happen in the alpha timeline as a black blur flew in through the window. Jack Noir stood there, and I tried to launch myself at him, but flew through him, forgetting that this couldn't have happened yet and it must be some kind of vision. I tumbled into the wall as Karkat woke up, and then the vision disappeared right after.

"H3Y, L4V1R4! L4V1R4! H3Y, WH4T H4PP3N3D?"

I propped myself on one arm, having somehow collapsed onto the floor. For a second I forgot what I had just seen, then I jumped to my feet as I remembered. I ignored Terezi's complaints as I dashed back towards the main room, realizing I had to do something to stop this. I was halfway to the main room when an idea popped in my head, and I turned instead for my room. I had to get them to safety, then hold off Jack as long as I could so they could make it there. So, when I got into my room, I sat down in my bed then curled up in the middle, hoping sleep would come quickly.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Why is everyone so hard to find?"

I was beginning to panic at this point. I didn't have much time to stall Jack, and I still needed to figure out how I would go about doing that.

Eventually I realized they were probably in their rooms and face-palmed, returning to the moon and starting first with Feferi's room. It was easy to get her to wake up as everyone had already woken up before. The hard part was convincing her not to ask any questions. The same went for everyone else.

I had told all the others to wait in my room as I moved onto the last Dersite dreamer.

"Eye don't even know if eye should wake him up…" I said to myself. "He does have a Prospitian self…"

I was standing in the middle of Sollux's room, debating what might happen if this dream Sollux as well as the Prospit version survived. Well, he wouldn't really survive either way, but would all versions of him be combined into the god-tier Sollux? Or would there be two versions of him?

"Oh, well, that probably won't happen," I said before waking him up to lead him – as well as the others – to the only place I could think of that would be safe.

_I just hope this works,_ I think, glancing back at the others for a moment before diving into the heart of Derse's moon.

It was a surprisingly short trip to the center of the moon, and floating around the edges were sacrificial slabs. I avoided the center, not wanting everyone to question what Aradia was doing down there, and thankfully the other slabs were all far enough the I could circle the room without getting near enough to see the Maid of Time's dream self. Once again, I was stalled with endless questions as I instructed the other Derse dreamers to not move from the slabs for any reason. The last one was, once again, Sollux, and before leaving I told him to lead the Prospit dreamers to the core of their moon, and that my brother would be able to tell them which slab belonged to which character.

Sollux seemed confused for a moment but shrugged his shoulders and agreed. I didn't even wait for him to fall asleep and change to his Prospit self, turning and flying back up to my own room. For a second, I hesitated, wondering if I should be doing this. I didn't dwell on it for too long, though, and curled up on my bed, only able to wish I hadn't screwed something up.

* * *

"W)(-w)(at?"

"Uh never mind."

"No, no. Um… W)(ale, I've never really t)(oug)(t of it, but… If you want, we could try! And if it doesn't work out, we could be morayls again."

"R-really? Uh sure let's try."

Feferi was about to reply with a small smile, but suddenly she slumped to the ground, fast asleep and snoring softly.

"Er, okay then dream self woke up?"

Then, one by one, all of the other Derse dreamers fell asleep. Nepeta was curled in a ball purring, Equius had left a dent on the ground where his head was, Eridan had passed out halfway through trying to hit on one of the others, and Sollux lay with his head on his keyboard, a random spattering of characters showing up on his latest code.

"Well that's nice, I wonder what happened? Maybe one of the kids might know." I say before going over to the computer that I use and began to make a slightly hard decision, which idiot to talk to until I ended up deciding upon the smartest that I could understand, or Jade.

**- reapingSurprise [RS] began trolling gardenGnostic [GG] -  
****RS: ►HellΦ tπere◄  
****GG: um who are you?  
****RS: ►I'm Φne Φf tπe trΦlls◄  
****GG: so what are you going to troll me then like all the others!?  
****RS: ►YΦµ πªven't stªrted yet πªve yΦµ?◄  
****GG: started what?  
****RS: ►We will finisπ tπis cΦnversªtiΦn lªter◄  
****- reapingSurprise [RS] gave up trolling gardenGnostic [PA] at 20:11 -**

I was about to try talking to her again later on in her timeline, but my attempt was interrupted by suddenly losing consciousness.

* * *

A moment later, I was awake on Prospit with Sollux standing on the edge of my sacrificial slab asking for help with some crazy plan my sister had made up.

I agreed to this proposition.

* * *

I poked my head out of my room, glancing around to see if anyone was in the hallway, but no one was, which in my opinion was a relief.

I stepped out of my room and ran back to the main room, finding all of the others laying around in random positions, all out like light bulbs, except for Aradia who gave me a knowing look. She probably understood what was going on. I only did a quick once over before disappearing back into the transportalizer. I headed towards one of the deeper, more hidden parts of the meteor I recalled stumbling across while exploring, breathing a sigh of relief when I quickly located the sendificator I had found. It wasn't long before I set the location to my brother and I's land, a few hours in the past to make sure I would catch him.

It hadn't been easy figuring out when to intercept him, and where. Lots of mental calibrating and recollection – as well as Google searching – of Homestuck before I realized the best place was Land of Perception and Flight, especially since it was the only hope I had if I was defeated to not die, no matter how slim the chances. I guess I should've thought ahead and put my dream self on my slab on Derse, but it was too late for that. So, crouching down on the sendificator, I pulled a crystal ball from my sylladex, then tossed it at the button, pulling out my new favored weapon, a cross between one of my crystal balls and a sword I 'borrowed' from Vriska. Then, in a flash, I was gone and once again found myself in the place I first became a troll in.

Now all I could do was wait. And it wasn't long before I caught sight of a black streak shoot by, halt, then turn back at the sight of what seemed easy prey.

"Oh, Jack, you'll soon learn eye'm no pushover."

He hovered a fair distance above my head, glaring down at me. I returned the stare before taking my rocket wings out of my sylladex this time, equipping them and rocketing up, sword at the ready.

Conveniently, I forgot the other battles Jack would face in the future, mainly the one with a god-tier and grimdark in which both died.

But it was too late for that.

* * *

All around me I could only hear the clang of metal against crystal. Even though it was only Jack and I, I could hear nothing but the sounds of our fight. That and the sound of my rockets keeping me mid-air.

It had been only minutes since the fight had started, and I hated how easily he had drawn me into the air, as well as how terrified I still was of this altitude. But thankfully I didn't have much opportunity to dwell on the thought as he barraged me with blow after endless blow.

After a while I didn't even know what I was hitting anymore. All I was aware of was pain and the need to survive. I wasn't thinking about the others anymore. I had no energy left. My vision flashed between dark and light. Nothing made sense.

I guess at that point it made sense why I was so grateful when it happened.

I had turned and fled, hoping Jack would ignore me and go after the others as per his original target. But no, this fight had become personal to him. He wanted to kill us all anyways, and he wasn't about to let such a perfect opportunity pass him by.

Suddenly I found myself face-to-face with him once again and I veered back to avoid crashing into him, but it was too late. I had too much momentum already and pain shot through me as I impaled myself on Jack's sword. I couldn't even cry out, just gritted my teeth and mustered the best glare I could in my current state. Jack, as usual, was expressionless and shoved me off his sword, watching me for a moment before deciding he had done enough damage and flying off. I tried to go in pursuit, but I only managed a couple of feet before the rockets on my wings sputtered and died, having been damaged as well. Almost instantly I began to fall head-first, and I only barely thought to flip onto my back before hitting a large stone structure, the roof of which I crashed through.

The edge of my vision blurred as I tumbled to the edge of the room. I lay there for a moment, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth, and then it hit me. I realized I was in my… umm… My mind fumbled for the answer for a few moments before I remembered. My Quest Cocoon.

I tried to get to my feet, but only managed my hands and knees. _That's enough, though,_ I thought, crawling towards the stone slab in the center of the room. My whole body felt like it was made of lead and as each second passed, I felt less and less certain this would work. I was stupid for trying to face Jack alone. I should've thought it through, finally realizing how idiotic it was for me to even think I could take him on alone. I thought I could be a hero, I thought I could defeat him, be different from the other fights against him. But no, I had failed. All I managed to do was get myself killed.

The last thing I remembered was managing to drag half my body onto the stone in the center of the room. I remember feeling terrified, as I always had been of death, and feeling terrified that maybe it hadn't been enough. Maybe my dream-self was dead, maybe something would go wrong.

I really hated myself for dying scared. For dying a coward.

Then it all span away to nothing.

* * *

It had been quite some time since I had fallen asleep. Or would it be woken up?

At any rate it had been some time since Sollux needed me to help him do the opposite of an evacuation by getting everyone that he didn't get to his or her respective sacrificial slabs. During the time between then and now I really had nothing to do but sit still, which was hard since I wanted to see what was going on outside of the planet, although the sounds I heard made me sit still. It kind of sounded like stuff was getting broken at a high rate and number.

Suddenly I saw this strange red, root like object break through the walls of the core and kind of mutilate anyone it came across. It happened so fast no one was actually able to go much of anywhere before being consumed in what I could only guess to be the demons doing. Known to few as "Red Miles" and since no one can escape the red miles no one was able to live.

Before being killed by the miles myself I noticed the corpses of the others leaving sight as though they were effected by an appearifier except without the –ify suffix left behind. At the rate the miles were moving I was only able to see the body thing happen to two of the others before I too was killed like the rest. I only saw a red thing moving towards me before, as some might say, the light left my eyes.

* * *

It didn't seem real for a moment. And for a while, I refused to believe I was alive.

Well, I finally understood Lavira's plan…

Only then did I open my eyes, sitting upright and glancing around at the ruin that surrounded me. Or, floating upright, since there was nothing beneath me. What had formerly been what Kayner had called my 'sacrificial slab' was now only scattered chunks of dark green and black stone. Then I glanced down, half surprised, half expecting the wardrobe change. Nothing special, just what I guessed was common Mage of Doom attire, as Lavira had called me. But I wasn't too concerned with my outfit.

I noticed Kayner hovering a short distance away and I went over by him, asking, "Do you know what happened to Laviira?" I didn't bother searching for her, as I realized this must be the ruins of Prospit, and she was a Derse dreamer.

"Why would I? I just recall you making my dream self become active and since she is a Derse dreamer I wouldn't have seen her."

I sighed and said, "II gue22 II wa2 hopiing you would know. 2he diidn't elaborate very much on her plan when 2he told the other Der2e dreamer2 to go to the moon'2 core."

"Regardless to that we are god tier, which is awesome."

"II… gue22 you could 2ay that… II ju2t hope 2he diidn't do anythiing 2tupiid…"

"Oh come on this is Lavira. I do the stupid things and she insults me because of it. Why would she do anything stupid when I'm not around?"

"1 WOULD T4K3 B4CK THOS3 WORDS. SH3 D1D PL3NTY OF STUP1D STUFF 4S F4R 4S 1 C4N S33. MUST B3 GOD T13R POW3RS. S33MS SH3 THOUGHT F1GHT1NG TH3 D3MON TH4T STOPP3D US FROM G3TT1NG TH3 ULT1M4T3 R3W4RD W4S 4 GOOD 1D34."

"Wait she fought Jack alone?"

"UM, Y4, 1SN'T TH4T WH4T 1 JUST S41D?"

"2o, 2he'2 dead now!?" I couldn't form any words beyond that, not realizing until just now that I shouldn't have ignored the voices this time. I remembered, thinking about it now, that even though all the others' voices were also yelling at me earlier, Lavira's had seemed the loudest despite how much I was ignoring it. And now… all the voices had stopped. I could account for everyone, but her. Anyone but her.

"Well since she went to fight Jack Noir on her own she is either dead or extremely close to dieing. Sorry dude but unless she gets lucky she is kind of gone."

I only stared at Kayner for a few minutes, still trying to process the fact that she was dead. Then I asked, "Do you have any iidea where 2he miight've gone to fiight hiim?"

"Odds are where she would have the home field advantage."

"2o your land?"

"Pretty much but before you start an expedition for the lost girlfriend we should probably leave this rock before Jack learns that we went god-tier and comes to finish the job."

"To where?"

"It might be stupid but the Veil might be the best idea since the others on Derse might be able to also make it there and it's also the only thing between Derse and Prospit."

"What about 2kaiia? 2houldn't we check there fiir2t, iin ca2e Laviira ii2 there for any rea2on?"

"It might be a good idea to send a few people but too many could attract unwanted attention."

"What attentiion? IIf anyone iis 2tiill on 2kaiia, they probably won't notiice u2, becau2e at the very lea2t they'll be caught up iin theiir 2tupid liittle war."

"Fine ask whom you see fit to join you and go on your little escapade, but you should remember one simple thing. No one can escape the red miles."

"Ummm… okay. II'll round up a couple of other2 and head down to 2kaiia."

I turned and headed away from Kayner, acting as though I was following his orders. But in actuality, I wasn't taking anyone else with me. I wanted to be the first to find her if she was found.

* * *

"I hope he doesn't try to be a hero and go alone or worse, go after Jack with others. Oh well might as well return to the Veil to wait to see if any Derse dreamers actually go there, or if they are even alive to begin with," I say to the remnants of my sacrificial slab before flying off leaving the others to sort out there stuff before deciding where to go or what to do.

_I hope Feferi is okay, I mean I hope the others are okay also but still, I just feel different about fairy. I really like this outfit I have on. Wait what was I thinking of. Damn crappy memory,_ I think while the Knight of Hope begins his adventure through space.

After some time I managed to get back to the veil learning that I seemed to be the first one back although it's a big place and they could be anywhere. "I should probably clean the bodies up, or at least relocate them because soon they will start decaying, or at least that's how human cadavers usually work. Bloody troll anatomy," I say before being disturbed at the thought I was moving my friends corpses and odds are they were still alive.

* * *

Soon after I started my search, I regretted going alone to scour Skaia. I had spent hours searching, and nothing, not even the smallest sign that she was anywhere on this stupid planet. Maybe she hadn't made it to her, what did Vriska call it? Quest Cocoon? Ya, that was it. I walked slowly across the checkerboard-pattered Skaia, wings hanging limply behind me, the ends dragging on the ground.

"II 2hould've que2tiioned her more about her plan. Then maybe II could've 2topped her," I muttered, my hand clenched in a fist almost tight enough to draw blood.

That was when I noticed the red glow on the horizon. I didn't understand it at first, but began walking towards it. Then I made out a gear-like shape in the sky, and as I got even closer I noticed a strange structure sitting atop a stranger mountain. I was confused for a moment, just staring at the phenomenon. Then Vriska's retelling of her ascension popped into my head and one name quickly followed suit.

_Laviira!_


	6. Chapter 6

"Damnit, Damnit, crap, Damnit," I say as I dragged and dropped Equius' corpse across the asteroid thing creating damage to the ground as I went. "Oh, fuck." I say to Equius realizing that only Sollux, Vriska, Lavira, and I are the only one's who actually know how god tier works at the current time so when the others come back, if any come back I'm going to have to re-introduce them to the way life works. "Well this is just great," shortly after this "revelation" I got to the room with the, appearifier I think it was, to leave the bodies. _It's not like anyone is going to use this thing ever right? _I thought as I went to get the next body to drag.

I decided to go for someone a bit lighter this time so I tried Nepeta guessing that, since she was all feline and stuff that she would weigh less then she looks. In fact I was wrong there and she was just as heavy as she looked which still wasn't too bad. I could have picked her body up but when I first tried the image me picking her up but with her having multiple slash marks of her and my scythe was lying on the ground a bit to my right. After seeing this I proceeded to drag her body out of the room instead. _Well that was a fucking beautiful thought but it's not like I would harm Nepeta or any of the others, right? Oh well __I really don't like this corpse-dragging thing though. Especially if the owner of the body returns while I'm dragging it._ I thought before walking back to the bodies getting a bit discouraged by how many there are. _One day these corpses could be those of my friends in which they won't be able to walk in on me dragging it. I probably will be the cause of it also, I mean Lavira can see all over time since she is the Seer of Time, Karkat could raise the dead even before being god tier, and I, I have no clue what the hell the knight of hope can do. There is no logical reasoning as to how you can use hope for combat making me kind of a useless god and this lack of strength of mine could result in an inability to succeed in combat._ I thought and managed to miss a slight darkening in my outfits color. " Wait maybe the others might have their computers on hand, or maybe they were left with the bodies. Either way I might be able to contact somebody, and if they have their computer I can check if they are still alive, or are back alive," I said to my scythe as I attempted to contact the "leader" to check if I actually could and this time I managed to miss the brightening of my outfit.

**- reapingSurprise [RS] began trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG] –  
RS: ►YΦµ tπere red?◄  
RS: ►ªnd ªlive?◄  
CG: WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK?  
CG: AND WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING ME RED?  
RS: ► #1 I cªn't see yΦµ◄  
RS: ► #2 I wªs cªlling yΦµ like I cªll mªny wπere I stªte blΦΦd cΦlΦr insteªd Φf nªme◄  
RS: ►...◄  
CG: HOW THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW IF MY BLOOD IS RED?  
RS: ►I πªve my wªys ;)◄  
CG: WHAT THE FUCK?  
RS: ►HEHE◄  
RS: ►*πeπe*◄  
RS: ►Qµirk dΦesn't like cªpitªls◄  
CG: WHAT HAPPENED ANYWAYS?  
CG: AND HOW MANY OF US DIDN'T GET KILLED BY THE DEMON?  
RS: ►I'm nΦt freªking explªining wπªt πªppened tΦ yΦµ gµys Φne ªt ª time sΦ if yΦµ wªnt tΦ knΦw get tΦ tπe veil◄  
RS: ►ªlsΦ I dΦn't tπink ª single sΦµl mªnªged tΦ evªde Jªck's (Tπe deªmΦn's) red miles (His ªttªck)◄  
CG: WHATEVER. I GUESS I HAVE TO GET THERE ANYWAYS.  
- carcinoGeneticist [CG] gave up trolling reapingSurprise [RS] -**

"It's great to know your alive jackass." I say to my scythe before restarting my treck with Equius to the teleport room. After a short time I managed to get, one other body actually, to the teleport room before I noticed that Karkat was back and seemed to have noticed himself lying on the ground. "I see you have met yourself," I said surprising him a bit.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?" Karkat said indicating to his body.

"Well it is more or less you. See when your dream self died it was on a sacrificial slab, which, since it died there, you got to reach a power rank known as god-tier. Since your dream self died and you went god-tier your normal self, him, just became another cadaver to join the pile. Hey are there any others here with you?" I said attempting to explain why his body was there and also trying to learn if any others reached this point.

"HOW AM I ALIVE IF BOTH OF MY OTHER SELVES ARE FUCKING DEAD!?"

"First, are there any who also came here?"

"YES, YOU FUCKING IDIOT. YOU THINK WE'D ALL WANT TO FUCK AROUND IN THAT PILE OF RUBBLE WHILE YOU LEFT FOR WHO THE FUCK KNOWS WHERE AND SOLLUX DISSAPEARS FOR SKAIA?"

"Meh, I actually just thought it would take a bit for people to figure that they are not actually dead, in one sense of the word. Well probably should continue my clean up."

Karkat just rolled his eyes at me before the other former Prospit dreamers walked into the room, except for obviously myself and Sollux.

"Hello all," I say dragging Kanaya's body to the teleport area. Once I went through the first teleport thing I realized that I should probably explain what happened so I dragged her body back in, because I don't want her to see it prior to me being there. After I went though the portal thing I decided to begin my explanation. "Long story short, your dream self died on special rock which made you stronger and your non-dream self died and it's body was left here so now there are corpses of all of us which I am in the process of moving," I say to the others then proceed to continue my self-appointed job leaving them to hopefully have no questions as to what I said. After a short time since, it didn't take the longest time to get to the teleport room, I had dumped yet another corpse in a room that looked familiar from a different point in time. _I wonder where I've seen this room before. Ah well it probably doesn't matter. I just now realized that I walked by Kanaya dragging her own corpse, he he wonder what she thinks of that? _I thought before going to grab whichever body is next. That body being Feferi's. _This is still strange especially since others are already here._

As I continued to hide away the bodies, the others continued on their normal business. Or at least, as normal as a group of aliens that just died as came back again can get. "Hey does anyone know how to fix the, damage in the ground?" I say to the others when I'm back in the main room again.

"I d0n't think the 0thers will mind," Aradia said, the only one comfortable with being god-tier. "N0 0ne g0es that way, anyways."

"I guess that's true," I say before getting some other body. _At least there aren't too many left to do._ "You died, I get how there is a problem with that, but could some of you actually help me remove the corpses?"

Aradia was the first to volunteer, for previously mentioned reasons, picking up a random body and said for me to lead the way. A couple of others reluctantly did the same, following after me to the makeshift morgue. After we finished removing the bodies from the main room everyone went back to what ever they were doing prior to me complaining. _I should probably talk to Jade since I said we would finish that conversation later. _I thought before going over to the computer I use, passing by the just-returning Dersite dreamers, saying, "Hey Fairy. Oh wait do you guys already understand what happened?"

Most of them shrugged their shoulders, and Nepeta asked, ":33 Could you purrlease explain it to us?"

"Sure I guess. What happened on Derse was that the entire planet was destroyed and you all died. The rock things you were on are, or were, called sacrificial slabs in which since you died on them you went to a stage known as "God-tier" which means that you are able to use some special powers, changing depending on some aspects. Also if you should die, you will be brought back to life unless the death was heroic or just."

The former Derse dreamers glanced at one another strangely before deciding to continue what they were doing before their spontaneous deaths and revivals. I continued on to pick up our former conversation.

**- reapingSurprise [RS] began trolling gardenGnostic [GG] -  
RS: ►HellΦ ªgªin◄  
GG: um, who are you?  
RS: ►Gµessed yΦµ'd fΦrget.◄  
RS: ►Φπ well I'm Kªyner◄  
GG: wait arent you that troll from a long time ago?  
GG: the one who said that we would continue the conversation later  
RS: ►Φπ yª◄  
RS: ►I sweªr I ªm nΦt πere tΦ screw witπ yΦµ◄  
RS: ►I jµst felt like, µπ, I reªlly dΦn't πªve ª clµe wπy I decided tΦ tªlk tΦ yΦµ◄  
GG: well thats nice :|  
RS: ►I did nΦt meªn it like tπªt◄  
RS: ►it's jµst tπªt, I πªd ª specific reªsΦn fΦr cΦntªcting yΦµ befΦre, bµt nΦw I gµess I jµst felt like tªlking tΦ sΦmeΦne besides tπe Φtπer trΦlls◄  
RS: ►ªnywªy it isn't like I wΦµld gªin ªnytπing frΦm screwing witπ yΦµ◄  
GG: i dont know :?  
RS: ►Okªy tπen well, witπ wπªtever yΦµr dΦing, gΦΦd lµck witπ it.◄  
RS: ►nΦw tπe previΦµs tπing is dΦne◄  
- reapingSurprise [RS] gave up trolling gardenGnostic [GG] -**

"Well that was an interesting little chat session. I think I'm done with talking to the kids unless one of them talks to me first." I say to the computer before leaving to screw about _maybe I could do a weird hate talk with Kanaya, actually that would be stupid why would I need to instigate a fight? Might as well talk to Feferi. This matesprit crap is going to confuse the hell out of me, I know it. Wait._ "Has anyone seen Gamzee?"

* * *

It seemed ages before I finally reached the peak of the mountain. My wings were sore when I got to the top, and when I finally did, I felt like they would give out on me any second.

Similar to how Vriska had described it, a stone platform lay at the top of the mountain. But, instead of seeing Lavira as I had hoped, the stone lay split in half, directly through the middle, cracks riddling the area around it. I could only stare at the platform, my last hope that Lavira might be alive. Now there was nothing. No Lavira, no point.

I just stood there for a long while, unable to accept that Lavira was gone. The red glow in the sky was fading, but there was no Lavira.

I had to move eventually, and when I finally did I just turned around, whispering, "You 2houldn't have fought hiim your2elf. You could've at lea2t gotten 2omeone to go wiith you or told 2omeone…"

Well, I might as well fake a smile and return to the Veil. Not like I could do much else at the moment.

* * *

_Oh shit, please tell me someone knows where the hell that clown is._ I thought as I looked amongst the few who stayed in the room, though to no avail since none of them seem to actually know where this clown was.

"I'm going to look for the murdering clown now," I say before running out of the room , holding any protest against it.

Shortly after leaving the room, I began to search for the clown. However, I instead found a thick patch of yellow blood on one of the teleportation pads.

"Oh god dammit Gamzee did you really kill Sollux?" I say aloud as I shove past Eridan to get through the pad.

"Wwhat the glub?" he questioned as I pushed him aside.

"Fuck you fish boy, and don't fuck with Feferi or Kanaya while I'm gone!" I yelled as I teleported. _Please tell me Sollux didn't die, that would not work well for us. _I thought following the trail of blood.

After some time of wandering I started to go into a slightly panicky state because I don't know if anyone is alive anymore. It took a while of walking for me to get inside the inner part of the asteroid and by then I had rationalized that there were a few events that Lavira and I could have off set, like if the scream I heard earlier, was just my imagination or did one or two die prematurely.

"Why did Karket think that we could actually change anything? We are just two kids who were put into a game that they were never intended to even know existed, we were just supposed to go through life thinking that cosplaying would be the closest we would get to seeing what the characters truly look like. I should be fucking around on a computer, not have everything I can think of possibly fall about me," I worry to the endless corridors as I tried to find some evidence suggesting as to where Sollux was, or if he was alive.

"HONK!"

Oh shit the clown is sober. I thought as I looked around the corner, seeing Gamzee standing above a cowering Sollux, clubs raised. "Sollux!" I yelled, attracting Gamzee's attention.

"where the motherfuck did y-" Was all he was able to say as I sent a scythe directly towards him, attempting to cut his arms to make him drop his clubs. But since I was so fast to throw it I didn't get a chance to aim, and instead of cutting his arms I hit his head with the handle.

"Kayner!" Sollux called to attract my attention.

Turning towards him, I quickly went over to be greeted by several injuries and bruises peppering the mustard-blood's arms and face. But he seemed unconcerned as he said, "II couldn't fiind Laviira. All II found wa2 a 2pliit 2tone liike the one Vrii2ka 2aiid 2he woke up on after 2he reached god-tiier. Laviira wa2n't anywhere."

"I… can't explain that."

"What do you mean, you can't explaiin iit? What happened to Laviira?" Despite his best efforts to remain calm, I could tell Sollux was worried, his voice cracking slightly at the end. He bit down on his lip, trying to act like it hadn't happened and he wasn't freaking out over Lavira's disappearance.

All I could do to respond at the moment was a simple shrug. And which Sollux only reacted with painfully getting to his feet and saying, "Well, gue22 we 2hould head back to the other2."

* * *

"I'm going to look for the murdering clown now," Kayner called a moment before bolting out of the room.

_Now what could he be up to? Oh whale, might as whale not mess with his business. Although I would reely like if he helped me learn more about this cod-Tier. _ I thought as I continued to try and learn what God-Tier truly means.

As I was thinking this over, Eriden entered the room with a confused expression on his face, possibly because of what Kayner was up to. Then he walked over to Kanaya.

"Do you knoww wwhy Kay doesnt wwant me to talk to you?" Eridan asked.

"I Do Not Believe That He Told Me Why That May Be," Kanaya responded, the Matriorb resting on the ground beside her.

"Oh look the matriorb, assumin you are goin to use it I shall accompany you since that is the most hopeful object and hope is my jurisdiction due to my god-tier aspect."

"Would That Jurisdiction Also Include Kayner Since He Is Also A Hero Of Hope?"

"WWell since I am the prince that makes me higher ranked them him in terms of jurisdiction especially since he is a knight which is lowwer then a prince," Eridan explained, thinking his reasoning was without fault.

"I don't know if it works like that," I interjected.

"Be quiet Fef of course that's howw it wworks."

"But-"

"I said be quiet."

"What is up with you, Eridan?"

"WWhale maybe if you listened to one closer to your owwn blood caste instead of swwoonin over that teal blood nothing wwould be wwrong!"

Then, without warning, he suddenly whipped out his wand and aimed straight out at me. Kanaya let out a shocked, "Eridan, What Are You Doing?" before a bolt of pure white light shot through me. My scream was cut short as my vision faded black and I span into nothing.

* * *

It happened too quickly for me to do anything as Eridan killed Feferi, her God-Tier clothes quickly becoming stained with fuschia blood. Then he turned on me, growling, "I'm guessing you don't see my help as wworthwwhile." Then he turned his wand on me, not waiting for a response before adding, "Then I guess no one's help will be wworthwwhile," moments before shattering the Matriorb with one bolt of magic energy.

I only stared at him for a moment, unable to believe what he had just done. Then, rage bubbling over, I pulled out my own weapon, charging at the smug seadweller. I didn't go far, though, before he fired a third shot, leaving a gaping wound in my stomach. And, just as Feferi had moments before, I was soon dead, collapsing to the ground as I bled out.

* * *

_WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?_ I thought after watching Eridan shoot Feferi, the matriorb, and Kanaya and then just leaving for some reason, ignoring me completely.

I jumped as someone appeared in the transportalizer, expecting Eridan to return to finish me off. I relaxed a moment after when I realized it was just Kayner, then tensed up as I saw him dragging a bloodied Sollux with him.

"2up, kk?" the yellow-blood asked, trying to make it seem as though his injuries weren't bothering him. It was obvious he was faking it, though.

"The hell happened here?"

"ERIDAN WENT ON A FUCKING RAMPAGE AND KILLED FEFERI AND KANAYA AND DESTROYED THE MATRIORB."

"Huh that sucks, either fight back?"

"KANAYA THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A FUCKING GREAT IDEA TO ATTACK THE INSANE SEADWELLER."

"Kiss Kanaya then."

"WHAT!? WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I DO THAT?"

"Since Feferi didn't fight she's going to heal sooner or later but Kanaya is a different story, although I'm pretty sure kissing dead Kanaya would help."

"ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?"

"Yes."

"FUCK. FINE, YOU AND LAVIRA HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN MORE THAN YOU SHOULD. BUT IF THIS IS SOME IDIOT JOKE, I WILL FUCKING MURDER YOU."

"What kind of joke would you kissing a corpse be?"

"IT DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER, FUCKASS."

"Come laser face, to the horn pile."

Sollux shrugged his shoulders and said, "II gue22 there ii2n't much el2e to do."


	7. Chapter 7

**CRS RIGHT NOW opened memo on board NOW YOU MIGHT KNOW  
CRS: ►It πªs been sΦme time since I leªrned Lªvirª left µs, πΦw lΦng? I dΦn't knΦw ªnymΦre, tπe ideª Φf time πªs left me in ªn ªttempt tΦ cΦmfΦrt myself, sΦ I cªn try ªnd fΦrget exªctly πΦw lΦng ªgΦ it wªs. ◄  
CRS: ►Every dªy since tπªt event πªs been tπe sªme, I wªke µp, wªlk tΦ tπe mªin rΦΦm, pµt Φn my fªke smile, ªnd gΦ greet tπe Φtπers witπ fªke πigπ πΦpes, bµt it dΦesn't fΦΦl ªnyΦne. ◄  
CRS: ►I πªte being ª πΦpe plªyer, I feel sligπtly πΦpeless ªs Φne◄  
CRS: ►I jµst cπecked my scytπe ªnd ªppªrently it's ªrΦµnd tπe dªte Jµne 2nd I gµess, I never gΦt ªrΦµnd tΦ crΦss cπecking my scytπe tΦ my cΦmpµter sΦ I dΦn't Φne πµndred percent knΦw bµt if it is tπªt dªte, πªppy birtπdªy tΦ me πµπ?◄  
CRS: ►Regªµrdless (did I spell tπªt rigπt?) SΦllµx πªs nΦt been very well since tπen, πe πªs been in ª cΦnstªnt stªte Φf mentªl decªy wπicπ trµtπfµlly is getting ª tªd bit ªnnΦying since πis mΦtivªtiΦn tΦ breªtπe in wªs dying Φµt fªster tπen sΦper dΦwn gªmzee's fµcking tπrΦgπt (I knΦw I spelled tπªt wrΦng).◄  
CRS: ►I went ª bit ªgΦ tΦ cπeck Φn gªmzee...πe wªsn't tπere, ªpperently πe wªsn't deªd bµt µncΦnsiµs (ªgªin spelling?) ªnd πe πªsn't stΦpped being sΦber sΦ I tπink πe's jµst wªting, wªiting tΦΦ ªttªck ªgªin.◄  
CRS: ►ªlsΦ eridªn πªsn't ªppeªred ªgªin, mªybe gªmzee killed πim? wπΦ ªm I kidding tπªt ªss is ªlsΦ wªnting tΦ kill µs ªll, sΦ, I reªlly πªte tπis timeline◄  
[CRS] ceased responding to memo.**

"Let's see if anyone notices that," I say to myself deciding to get off the computer for the night and went over to the only tolerable person on this rock, Feferi. _Why is everyone on this rock weird in one way or another? Oh well at least I haven't seen Gamzee, even a glance of him is like a fucking death omen._ "Hey fairy," I say when I get over to Feferi who seemed to be kind of looking at Sollux in a strange way.

")(u)(? O)(, )(ey t)(ere, Kay."

"Is something wrong? Besides the crap that went on a bit ago."

"W)(ale t)(e t)(ing is, I've been watc)(ing Sollux a lot recently, and he seems to be getting a lot worse since Lavira died and, w)(ale… it just seems like )(e might be planning on doing somet)(ing foolfis)(."

"Ya, I've tried helping him, but it's hard getting through to someone who went through what he did."

_Should I tell her now? Maybe it won't end how I always imagined since she ain't overly happy nor sad, more or less in between. _I thought

"Hey I need to tell you something."

")(ey I need to tell you somefin," she blurted out in unison with my own statement.

"Uh you first," I say due to curiosity over what she finds important right now.

"W)(ale you know that I like you rig)(t?"

"Of course I do, we were friends prior to matespritship so it's a slightly obvious thing."

"Alrig)(t t)(en. I )(ave to say it's great being wit)( you but, w)(hale, at one time I learned t)(at Sollux also kind of liked me in a way like )(e does, or did, w)(it Lavira. I don't know w)(y but I can't watc)( )(im t)(is way so uh, I t)(ink it mig)(t be best if, maybe I… try being )(is matesprite instead in order to make sure )(e does nofin wrong," Feferi says rushing the final part.

_Well maybe I don't have to do it anymore._

"Erm okay then I guess."

"R-really? Is t)(ere a reason w)(y you answered so quickly?"

"Erm, well that's a bit of a…question I don't really want to answer." _Cod damn it does that mean I have to say it anyway? This girl is screwing my mind. Freaking fish jokes are infectious I guess._

"No it's fine if t)(ere's somefin wrong if you tell me."

"Uh, okay then, to tell the truth I was planning on breaking up with you also, although for a different reason."

"O-O)(… Was it somefin I did or said? I t)(oug)(t you liked me."

"No, there was nothing wrong it's just, I couldn't be the one."

"T)(e one?"

"The one to disappoint, see after Lavira died I thought about it and realized that, if all goes well due to our bloods I will wind up dieing hundreds of sweeps before you and, well I couldn't leave you alone so, I guess this situation ends well enough for both of us huh?"

"I guess so."

"Whale, erm, well, I have something's to do in other locations so I guess this is goodbye for now huh? Well bye"

"Bye Kayner. Please don't take t)(is choice wrong it's just, I feel for Sollux like I do for you so… I just can't let )(im stay the way )(e is and destroy )(imself."

"I won't," I say before leaving the room to go, conclude some business for a while.

**CRS RIGHT NOW opened memo on board NOW YOU MIGHT KNOW.  
CRS: ►HellΦ ªgªin ªnyΦne reªding tπis◄  
CRS: ►I've nΦticed nΦ Φne πªs yet tΦ find tπis memΦ, ªdvªntªges tΦwªrds me πµπ? Let's me vent ª tiny bit◄  
FUTURE reapingSurprise [FRS] 22:22 HOURS FROM NOW responded to memo.  
FRS: ►tπink ªgªin◄  
CRS: ►Oπ my gΦsπ it's me◄  
FRS: ►mΦre Φr less it is bµt still it's nice tΦ tªlk tΦ yΦµ ªgªin◄  
CRS: ►again?◄  
FRS: ►Yes, Φnce I µsed tΦ be in yΦµr shΦes becªµse yΦµ knΦw, I ªm yΦµ jµst µsing sΦme still strªnge ªss time stµff◄  
CRS: ►Oπ, tπªt mªkes sense◄  
FRS: ►I didn't cΦme here tΦ chªt, I cªme tΦ sªy thªt yΦµ need tΦ leªve sΦΦner Φr lªter◄  
CRS: ►leªve wπere?◄  
FRS: ►I dΦn't reªlly knΦw why bµt fµtµre me, whΦ is ªctµªlly me in yΦµr pΦint Φf view, tΦld me thªt I hªve tΦ leªve the ªsterΦid◄  
CRS: ►bµt, if I leªve tπen jªck migπt find me◄  
FRS: ►YΦµ hªve tΦ recªll I sªid the sªme fµcking things tΦ fµtµre me◄  
FRS: ►ªnd yet here I ªm◄  
CRS: ►Dªmn, wπere ªre yΦµ anyways?◄  
FRS: ►Erm...the plªnet ªt the center Φf the sessiΦn◄  
CRS: ►πµπ πΦw lΦng πªve yΦµ been ªt tπªt sπit πΦle?◄  
FRS: ►I gΦt here when thªt thing thªt stªtes my time wΦµld sªy 2:00◄  
CRS: ►Wªit I'm leªving in ªbΦµt 2 πΦµrse?◄  
FRS: ►ªctµªlly it tΦΦk hªlf ªn hΦµr tΦ get here sΦ fΦr sΦme reªsΦn yΦµ will be leªving in Φne hΦµr ªnd 30 minµtes◄  
CRS: ►Φπ dªmnit, wπy wΦµld I leªve tπe few peΦple ªlive ªnd leªve tπem tΦ wπªtever fªte Gªmzee ªnd Eridªn leªves?◄  
FRS: ►becªµse yΦµ will eventµªlly think ªbΦµt it ªnd reªlise thªt since I'm ªt, Skªiª(?) thªt meªns yΦµ gΦ there ªlsΦ, ªlthΦµgh me bringing this µp might be the Φnly incentive necessªry tΦ bring yΦµ here.◄  
CRS: ►...YΦµ mªke ª gΦΦd pΦint◄  
FRS: ►yes I dΦ◄  
CRS: ►YΦµ dΦ µnderstªnd tπªt I jµst tªlked tΦ myself, ªnd it leªd tΦ sΦmetπing impΦrtªnt?◄  
FRS: ►hell yª, giving tªlking tΦ yΦµrself ª new meªning◄  
CRS: ►well...erm◄  
FRS: ►bye◄  
FRS ceased responding to memo  
**

_Yay I can say I successfully spoke to myself with trollian. Cod I'm glad I didn't say that out loud, or that either, I spent too much time with Feferi I guess, at least that won't be happening any more. Now it's time for me to prepare for a trip to...skaia, hm._ I think before going off to collect the items I deem fit to bring

**FUTURE reapingSurprise [FRS] 22:20 HOURS FROM NOW responded to memo.  
FRS: ►YΦ I fΦrgΦt tΦ mentiΦn tπªt yΦµ sπΦµld leªve beπind yΦµr internet scytπe, I dΦn't knΦw wπy bµt ªpperently yΦµ migπt get tªlked Φµt Φf stªying πere if yΦµ bring it, Φkªy, cΦΦl, bye◄  
FRS ceased responding to memo.**

"Well that was strange, why do I have to leave that though?" I said to myself

"What, Are You Leaving? Where?" questioned Kanaya, as it seems that she overheard me since standing in the middle of a corridor isn't very secure.

"Wouldn't you like to fucking know," I spat at her since I for once had something to do.

"Fine, Kayner, No Need To Act So Foul. But I Have Something To Tell You."

"I don't really feel like listening to your shit right now, sooooo, I'm leaving now," I say before walking away from her.

"Hold On," Kanaya interrupts, grabbing my arm to prevent me from leaving. "Look, I Understand We Do Not Live Under The Best Of Terms But I've Been Thinking About It. Since I Nearly And Lavira Actually Died, And Since Gamzee And Eridan Are Somewhere Else, I Realized That A Kismesisitude Might Not Be Of Any Help To The Species Especially With The Loss Of The Matriorb. We Need To Focus On What People We Have Left Incase We Get Some Way To… Somehow Continue The Species Without It. In All, I Just Need To Say That I Hope We Can End This Since, As Eridan Has Shown, Anger Can Lead To Dangerous Situations And You Always Have Been Different. I Don't Really Want To Learn How This Relationship Would End Up," Kanaya elaborated in an apologetic tone.

"Well us ending our kismeshit thing wouldn't do too much any rate since I don't have a matesprite so if I do something stupid then oh the hell well, you're a strange, blood sucking light bulb so odds are I can't kill you so all that might happen is you kill me. But hey, since I don't think I should have been a part of this game in the first place I'm going to go remove myself from it before more bullshit happens!" I yell, startling her so I can remove my arm from her hand. Obviously after that I ran off to avoid her. After turning a corner I noticed that this was one of those walkways I always thought I'd fall off of and it would take a fucking year to hit the ground. _Might as well check how long it takes now,_ I think before jumping off the platform I was on allowing me to fall into the depths of the meteor so I could escape the light bulb before she thought of something else to say. _Well that little talk took a bit long. I wonder where I should put my scythe, since apparently I need to leave it here. Might as well leave it in the main room so they know something is wrong instead of just wondering where I am now,_ I consider before flying in the direction I thought the main room transportalizer pad was, _At least my god tier gives me wings that I actually can use because I suck at being a hero of hope._

After some time I did manage to come across the transportalizer but it took a long time especially since I accidentally hit the walls a few, thirty, times._ I really fucking hate flying,_ I think before using the pad. Once in there I checked to see if anyone was nearby since I don't want to answer why I'm leaving my scythe at my computer. The only people I could see there was Feferi and Sollux who somehow managed to fall asleep on the horn pile, which we really should have thrown away or something. _Seems as though her little idea worked, with quite good efficiency._ I thought before going over to my computer and activating my scythe's energy. _They need to know I didn't just get lost in this rock,_ I thought before beginning work on a note for the others to read should they ever check the scythe.

* * *

I was napping near the horn pile since no one seemed to be around anymore when I heard the distinct sound of the transportalizer in use. I glanced up and noticed Kayner walking towards the edge of the room, typing out a message on his special scythe that let him use Trollian on the go. I quietly snuck up behind him, not wanting to confront him directly because of his recent break-up with Feferi, and read the note he seemed to be writing and re-writing.

since Sollux and Feferi were talking about something elsewhere, Karkat wasn't here nor was he too nice recently, and Kayner didn't seem to be around anywhere, when I heard someone enter the room. I thought it might have been Kayner so I decided to stay where I was since he might not have been in the best mood because of his loss of matespritship. _It's odd, I thought almost one hundred purrcent sure that Kayner would stay flushed with Feferi but, I guess I was wrong, Oh, what's Kayner doing?_ I thought before sneaking over to see what he was doing on his scythe. While looking over his shoulder I noticed he seemed to be writing something to himself. _Now what might you be doing Kayfur. Let's see._ I thought before reading as he typed and retyped his thing.

* * *

_Is that good? Meh I've wasted about half an hour here writing and rewriting this piece of crap so I should, or will, probably be leaving soon,_ I tell myself as I lay my scythe on the keyboard in front of me before standing up and turning around only to find myself face to face with the only obstacle I had that might not let me leave here.

":(( K-kayfur, where are you going?" Nepeta asked, worry showing in her eyes plain as day.

"Uh, well, what makes you think I'm leaving?" I lie, attempting to play out as innocent.

":|| Don't try lying to me. I read what you were typing!" She hissed.

"Um, crap, I guess I am going somewhere, but where isn't too important to you."

":(( But…! Oh, fine… Though, how long will you be gone fur?"

"Didn't you say you read the thing?"

":(( Yes, but I thought, maybe you might consider coming back."

"Sorry Nep but I have no intents of coming back after I go. Why do you even want me to stay anyways?"

":(( Don't you remember what you said to, Equius?"

The blunt statement brought up the memory I had of the last time I would ever see said blue-blood shortly before he ventured out to go clown-hunting.

* * *

_Let's see what I can recall of Homestuck that might happen soon,_ I thought as I sat beside Feferi. _Let's see, The two planets get broke, Gamzee runs out of pie, Eridan blasts Feferi and Kanaya, let's see what else... I can't think of, oh crap once again I forgot something about Gamzee._ I remembered the section of the comic in which Equius goes after the murdering clown. The difference in this timeline is that he just might allow Nepeta to go with him since they both are god-tier and he hasn't killed anyone. "Hey, Fairy, I got to go check something."

"Okay sea you soon Kay," Feferi replied before I left.

"Now since it started there I should check Nepeta's place first," I muttered to the abyss that surrounds the platform the transpotalizers are on before walking towards Nepeta's portal. Shortly before I made it, though, the very pair of moirails I was searching for, Equius and Nepeta, came out of the transportalizer. I thought it might be fine until I noticed that Nepeta had her battle claws on. "Your not going after Gamzee are you?" I questioned, hoping to get a no.

":33 Actually, yes. Equius was going to go without me, but I talked him out of it so now were going together to fight that mean clown," Nepeta said, brandishing her claws.

"Really blue? Just, really?" I said not understanding how now is the one time she's able to persuade him to allow her will.

"She was quite persistent about us both being god-tiers enough STRONGNESS to take down Gamzee together."

"Equius, you are the Heir of Void while Nepeta is the Thief of Heart, there isn't that high of a chance you could defeat the honking Bard of Rage. Odds are he could beat you easily alone none the less with a bit of effort beat the both of you."

":33 Oh don't listen to him of course we can do this together."

"I have been right about quite a bit as of some recent events and actions so why not take me serious now?"

"It is true that you have been right about things. Maybe you should stay behind anyway Nepeta."

":33 But if you die, then it would be easy for him to target me next anyways," she protested.

"I must agree with you there, Nepeta. Kayner?"

"Sup?" I asked.

"Usually I wouldn't ask one to do this, but I need to you watch Nepeta."

"Excuse me? I'm not really a babysitter."

":? What's a babysitter?" Nepeta asks, giving me a confused look.

"Um I think it's a human who watches another humans child. Regardless I don't really think I would need to watch her." _Trolls don't have babies idiot only grubs,_ I snap in my head, trying to pass it off as just something the kids taught me.

"Please, Kayner. I usually wouldn't ask one of your blood this, but I require someone to watch her, and I couldn't stand if something would happen to my moirail while I am off."

"Ugh…fine whatever just go after doctor polka pants I really don't care right now."

"Thank you. Do not worry Nepeta I am certain I am STRONG enough to defeat him before he hurts anyone else."

":(( Okay, but," she says, giving her moirail a tight hug, "please don't make me lose my mewrail."

"I won't," Equius assures her before starting to walk off. "I'm trusting you, Kayner," is the last words I ever hear him say as Nepeta sidles up close by my side.

* * *

That took place maybe one or two months ago, and I've been attempting to keep with my promise hoping he just got lost, though what I found proves otherwise.

"I haven't forgotten," I admit, feeling bad about forgetting that.

":(( You promised Equius," Nepeta said, hugging me just like she had with Equius before he dissapeared. "I don't want to lose another friend, especially if it's because I was left behind."

After she let go we kind of just looked at each other for a bit before I conceded. "Alright then, Nepeta, you changed my mind."

":33 Yay! Come on, then, let's go do something since you seem free Kayfur," Nepeta chirped, happily moving about before walking one direction with her back towards me.

The thought of Equius dieing and what Nepeta said made me realize that we have no hope, that I can't turn this session right. This realization took the last bit of hope I hade and threw it away followed by the last of the already dark color that I had on my outfit, turning the clothes black. For some reason as I myself lost hope my outfit got darker which I guess was it telling me that I was failing my Hero of Hope's duty, so I still needed to leave. _I will come back some day cat girl, you did change that,_ I thought before getting one of my scythes out and flipping it putting the blade on the bottom. "I'm sorry Nep."

":? Wha-" Nepeta asked, turning to face me. But when she did, I was already mid swing and caught her on the side of the head causing her to fall and hit her head a second time against the ground. After she hit the ground I checked to make sure her head wasn't bleeding and that her pulse was normal. Both proved healthy, and I added a little to my note before taking off, leaving the rock behind. _Good bye everyone, the reaper needs to leave before he causes more to die._

* * *

I don't really know how long I was asleep I just remember talking with Sollux then resting my eyes for a little. I guess that was a bad idea. I noticed that Nepeta wasn't asleep where she was before I fell asleep, but instead was laying on the ground in a strange way a short distance away. ")(ey Nepeta, w)(at are you doing laying like t)(at?" I asked before noticing she didn't move. I went over and nudged her a few times trying to wake her up, half-yelling, "W)(at's wrong Nepeta?" Then I noticed a small bump on the side of her head, proving someone had hit her on the head and had knocked her out. I got worried, especially when I noticed that Kayner's scythe was laying on one of the computer's keyboard. I went over and picked it up when I noticed that Kayner seemed to have left a note on his scythe. I read the first few sentences before realizing something was wrong and went to collect the others before finishing reading it.

A while later I got Nepeta awake and the others in one place, besides Gamzee and Eridan for obvious reasons, and began reading the note he left.

**- reapingSurprise [RS] began trolling reapingSurprise [RS] at 17:01 -  
RS: ►HellΦ everyΦne◄  
RS: ►well ªssµming everyΦne is reªding tπis Φr sΦmeΦne is reªdin ªlΦµd◄  
RS: ►regªµrdless πellΦ everyΦne◄  
RS: ►Tπis nΦte tΦΦk me mªny ªttempts tΦ write bµt I'll get tΦ tπe pΦint. I'm leªving◄  
RS: ►I πªve nΦtπing left tΦ keep me πere ªnd I feel ªs tπΦµgπ I sπΦµld gΦ◄  
RS: ►I πªven't πelped prevent ªnyΦne frΦm dying in ª wªy tπªt I didn't cªµse in tπe first plªce◄  
RS: ►befΦre I gΦ I πªve ª few tπings tΦ sªy tΦ yΦµ gµys ªnd girls◄  
RS: ►SΦllµx, I'm sΦrry I wªs µseless wπen Lªvirª died, tπere πªs tΦ πªve been sΦmetπing I cΦµld πªve dΦne tπªt I jµst didn't◄  
RS: ►Kªrkªt...SΦrry dµde dΦn't knΦw ªnytπing tΦ sªy tΦ yΦµ◄  
RS: ►reªlly sπΦµld edit tπis Φµt◄  
RS: ►nªπ tπis πªs tªken tΦΦ lΦng◄  
RS: ►Nepetª, I'm sΦrry fΦr nΦt gΦing witπ Eqµiµs ªnd insteªd stªying witπ yΦµ, I tπΦµgπt Φf ªsking tΦ gΦ witπ yΦµ twΦ bµt I-I cΦµldn't◄  
RS: ►Kªnªyª, ªs yΦµ sªid we never gΦt ªlΦng tΦΦ well bµt I reªcted bªdly wπen yΦµ didn't sΦ I πªve tΦ sªy, I ªccept yΦµr ªpΦlΦgy ªnd I πΦpe yΦµ ªccept tπis Φne, I'm sΦrry fΦr tπe stµpid tπings I πªve sªid ªnd dΦne tΦ yΦµ, yΦµ were rigπt, tπis isn't impΦrtªnt ªnymΦre.◄  
RS: ►Vriskª, ªssµming yΦµ ªre Φn gΦΦd terms witπ everyΦne ªnd ªre ªctµªlly πeªring tπis,◄  
RS: ►wΦw Φnce ªgªin I dΦn't πªve ªnytπing tΦ sªy, sΦrry◄  
RS: ►Terezi: Sªme ªs SΦllµx I'm sΦrry I didn't try ªnytπing. I knΦw Lªvirª wªs impΦrtªnt tΦ yΦµ ªlsΦ sΦ I gµess sπe jµst- wªsn't tπªt impΦrtªnt tΦ me. Tπªt's ªll I cΦµld imªgine since it seems ªs tπΦµgπ I wªs being ª πeªrtless bªstªrd wπen it cªme tΦ πer deªtπ◄  
RS: ►let's see wπΦ's left tπªt I DO πªve sΦmetπing tΦ sªy tΦ◄  
RS: ►I gµess ªll tπªt's left is Feferi◄  
RS: ►Feferi, I πΦpe yΦµ dΦ fine◄  
RS: ►Tπis isn't sΦme wªy tΦ get ªwªy frΦm yΦµ it's jµst, sΦmetπing I πªve tΦ dΦ◄  
RS: ►well everyΦne, gΦΦdbye◄  
RS: ►Nepetª, I'm ªlsΦ sΦrry ªbΦµt lying tΦ yΦµ ªnd tπªt πit, I cΦµldn't let yΦµ stΦp me becªµse I knΦw tπis is impΦrtªnt sΦme πΦw.◄**

"Holy 2hit, Kayner," Sollux said while the others kind of just sat there, wondering what to do now that the Knight of Hope was gone.

**FUTURE reapingSurprise [FRS] 20:00 HOURS FROM NOW responded to memo.  
FRS: ►Pleªse tell me yΦµr still ªt tπe rΦck◄  
FRS: ►Kªyner?◄  
FRS: ►Sπit tΦΦ lªte◄  
FRS: ►Dªmn yΦµ fµcking ªssπΦle wπy did yΦµ πªve tΦ gΦ ªbªndΦn yΦµr friends like tπªt◄  
FRS: ►wπy cΦµldn't yΦµ pretend yΦµ ªctµªlly gªve ª fµck ªs tΦ wπªt πªppens next tΦ yΦµ Φr, even ªny fµcking Φne else◄  
FRS: ►In cªse yΦµ ªre still tπer it's jµst tπªt yΦµ πªven't picked µp yet I need tΦ tell yΦµ◄  
FRS: ►DON'T COME TO SKAIA◄  
FRS: ►"Tπe DemΦn" is πere, it seems tπªt since we didn't lªµncπ tπe rΦck wπen we needed tΦ πe stªyed in tπis sessiΦn◄  
FRS: ►ªnd πe's πere ªnd mΦst Φf tπe prΦspitiªns ªnd dersites ªre deªd◄  
FRS: ►Fµck I gµess nΦw it's time tΦ kick tπe bµcket eh? AnyΦne reªding tπis, gΦΦd-bye. :( ◄  
FRS: ►wªit◄  
FRS: ►I tπink πe's cΦming clΦse◄  
FRS: ►sπit ªny rªte incªse yΦµr wΦndering I πªve Lªvirª's crystªl bªll tΦ tªlk tΦ yΦµ◄  
FRS: ►LΦΦk fΦr it◄  
FRS: ►it cΦµld be impΦrtªnt◄  
FRS: ►Oπ sπit◄  
FRS: ►He's◄  
FUTURE reapingSurprise's computer has been damaged beyond use.**

* * *

"_No! Kayner!"_

"_yøu can'‡ dø any‡hing nøw. nøw, s‡øp s†ruggling. I SAID S†OP!"_

"_I have to help him!"_

"_if i have †ø, i will si† øn yøu, sø jus† calm døwn and †ake nø‡es. i'm d__ø_ing _‡_his f_ø_r y_ø_ur _ø_wn g_ø__ø_d."


End file.
